BX  5199   .L8  T73  1883 
Trench,  Maria. 
Charles  Lowder 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2015 


https://archive.org/details/charleslowderbioOOtren 


CHARLES  LOWDER 


EXTRACTS  FROM  SOME  OF  THE  PRESS  NOTICES  OF 
PREVIOUS  EDITIONS. 


"  Mr.  Lowder's  Life  is  the  memorial,  written  with  touching  simplicity,  of 
no  ordinary  man." — Saturday  Review. 

"This  is  the  record  of  a  very  noble  life.  .  .  .  Our  space  will  not  permit 
us  to  describe  the  numerous  good  works  established  by  Mr.  Lowder.  Let  it 
suffice  to  say  that  by  his  self-sacrificing  devotion  he  tamed,  and  to  a  large 
extent  civilized,  one  of  the  rudest  and  most  lav/Iess  and  vicious  districts  in 
the  metropolis.  Very  striking  and  pathetic  is  the  contrast  between  the 
crowd  of  mourners  who  turned  out  to  swell  the  procession  which  followed 
him  to  the  grave,  and  the  crowds  of  yelling  rioters  who  sought  to  e.\pel  him 
from  the  parish  twenty  years  before." — Spectator. 

"This  biography  will  be  read  with  interest  as  the  history  ol  a  struggle 
and  conflict  amidst  the  vice  and  misery  so  prevalent  in  our  large  cities." — 
Guardian. 

"  The  book  before  us,  containing  a  clear  and  straightforwai-d  narrative  of 
his  life  and  labours,  is  an  eminently  readal.le  one,  written  with  no  little 
literary  skill,  warmly  appreciative,  and  yet  with  no  such  e.xtravagance  of 
indiscriminate  praise  as  to  e.xcite  any  doubts  in  the  mind  of  a  critical  reader." 
— Church  Times. 

"Every  young  Catholic  who  wishes  to  learn  what  the  Revival  was  in  its 
infancy,  should  read  this  interesting  biography.  Every  one  wlio  knew 
Charles  Lowder  personally,  or  heard  of  his  work,  will  be  only  too  glad  to 
have  a  permanent  record  of  the  eventful  epochs  in  the  life  of  a  devoted 
parish  priest." — Church  Review. 


CHARLES  LOWDER 


A  BIOGRAPHY 


BY  THE  AUTHOR  OF 

"THE  LIFE  OF  ST.  TERESA" 

"  Et  nos  vincamus  aliquid" 

St.  Augustine 


NINTH  EDITION 


LONDON 

KEGAN  PAUL,  TRENCH  &  CO.,  i,  PATERNOSTER  SQUARE 

1883 


[The  n£-'t:s  of  ti-anslatton  a>iS  of  reproduction  are  reserved^ 


TO 

THE  REV.  JAMES  SKINNER, 

IN  GRATEFUL  THOUGHT 
OF 

A  STEADFAST  BATTLE 
FOR  LAW  AND  CHRISTIAN  LIBERTY. 


( 


PREFACE. 


*  I  CALL  a  man  remarkable,"  Carlyle  says,  "  who 
becomes  a  true  workman  in  this  vineyard  of  the 
Highest."  If  this  be  so,  Charles  Lowder  was 
certainly  one  of  the  most  remarkable  men  among 
those  who  have  lately  passed  away.  "  His  work 
has  made  '  Lowder '  and  '  St,  Peter's,  London 
Docks,'  household  words  in  this  our  Western  land," 
were  the  words  of  Dean  Stansbury,  of  New  Jersey, 
in  a  sermon  preached  soon  after  that  work  was 
ended  by  death.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that 
his  life  has  been  written  by  the  wish  of  his  brother 
and  his  sisters,  without  whose  generous  confidence 
the  task  would  have  been  an  impossible  one.  To 
his  eldest  sister,  especially,  the  writer  is  indebted, 
not  only  for  all  information  as  to  his  early  life,  but 
for  constant  and  kindest  help  while  attempting  to 


viii 


PREFACE. 


carry  out  the  wishes  of  his  family.  Their  desire 
that  the  book  should  be  written  (at  the  cost  of  a 
sacrifice  of  private  feeling)  has  been  wholly  from  the 
belief  that,  for  the  sake  of  others,  it  was  well  that 
the  story  of  his  life  should  be  told,  although  knowing 
that  he  would  himself  have  shrunk  from  it  while  still 
amongst  us.  Had  he  ever  contemplated  such  a 
record  being  made,  he  would  certainly  have  left 
more  material  for  the  purpose ;  but  there  is  not,  in 
his  letters  or  papers,  the  slightest  token  of  their 
having  been  written  for  anything  but  the  immediate 
purpose  of  the  moment.  His  book,  "  Twenty-one 
Years  in  St.  George's  Mission,"  now  out  of  print, 
was  placed  in  the  writer's  hands  by  his  brother,  the 
Rev.  William  Lowder,  to  be  used  as  might  seem 
best ;  but  with  the  exception  of  the  account  of  the 
cholera  in  St.  Peter's  parish,  only  a  very  few  short 
extracts  from  it  have  been  given.  We  are  therefore 
the  more  indebted  to  those  who  have  most  kindly, 
and  at  considerable  trouble  to  themselves,  supplied 
information,  both  in  writing  and  in  conversation, 
without  which  this  memoir  could  not  have  been 
written. 

While  heartily  thanking  all  who  have  thus 
lightened  the  writer's  task,  it  is  impossible  not  to 


PREFACE. 


ix 


mention  with  especial  gratitude  the  clergy  and 
Sisters  of  St.  Peter's-in-the-East,  the  Rev.  James 
Skinner,  Rev.  H.  Rowley,  Rev.  J.  E.  Swallow,  Rev. 
Bryan  King,  and  last,  but  not  least,  the  Rev.  Robert 
Linklater.  To  him,  and  to  Mr,  Skinner,  both  the 
writer  and  readers  of  this  memoir  are  most  largely 
indebted.  For  Charles  Lowder's  life  was  his  work 
in  London  ;  and  to  the  men  who  lived  and  worked 
with  him  in  London,  the  one  as  his  leader,  the  other 
under  him,  we  must  turn  to  hear  the  story  of  his 
labours. 

It  may  very  probably  seem  to  not  a  few  that 
too  many  details  have  been  given  in  the  following 
pages,  at  least  of  Mr.  Lowder's  last  days.  But  this 
will  be  forgiven,  if  it  be  remembered  that  the  book 
is  written,  first  of  all,  for  his  mourning  parishioners 
at  St.  Peter's-in-the-East.  They  long  to  follow  his 
last  wanderings  after  his  departure  from  England, 
to  hear  his  last  words  before  he  passed  into  the 
silence  which  cannot  be  broken,  and  to  stand  by  his 
death-bed. 

Whatever  has  been  said,  in  the  following  pages,  of 
the  fearful  misery  that  almost  touches  the  splendour 
of  West  London  is  very  far  within  the  truth.  What 
are  the  words  of  John  Martin,  the  poet  schoolmaster, 


X 


PREFACE. 


who  had  been  rescued  from  direst  misery  by  the  St. 
Peter's  clergy,  and  had  himself  drunk  to  the  very 
dregs  the  cup  of  want  and  suffering  ?  Here  is  a 
passage  from  his  note-book : 

One  who  lives  amidst  the  courts  and  alleys  of  a  great  city, 
and  sees  the  filth  of  human  life  that  the  very  houses  have  in 
them ;  one  who  can  see,  as  I  just  now  saw,  girls  of  twelve  and 
thirteen  lost  to  all  shame  and  decency,  proceeding  on  their  way  to 
infamy,  and  no  hope  of  a  friendly  hand  to  stay  them  in  their 
downward  path ;  no  hope,  except  perhaps  for  one  or  two  who  will 
be  as  brands  from  the  burning  fire ;  one  who  knows  that,  as  rats 
undermine  a  building,  squalid  crime  is  at  work  upon  the  very 
foundations  of  morality  and  law,  cannot,  must  not,  till  he  has  left 
these  scenes  for  peaceful  nature,  be  an  optimist. 

I  pass  tlirough  the  filthy  lanes,  not  in  imagination,  for  I  have 
been  through  them  bodily  just  now,  and  I  see  the  most  squalid 
beastliness,  oaths,  quarrels,  fights,  drunkenness.  |To  know  that 
the  image  of  God  can  fall  below  the  level  of  the  brutes  is  grief 
enough.  To  know  that  that  state  is  its  highest  joy ;  to  know  that 
life  in  all  its  circle  of  intellectual  and  bodily  pleasure  holds  no 
greater  amusement  or  attraction,  is  enough  to  take  the  edge  off  all 
joy.  The  dreadful,  weird  phase  of  uncivilization  presented  ever 
to  me  makes  me  dejected — a  dejection  increased  by  my  bodily 
languor.  What  avails  it  that  this  is  Christmas  Eve  ?  What  avails 
it  that  Christ,  the  Divmely  pure,  was  born  as  to-night,  when  I 
know  that  there  are  thousands  of  souls  that  reject  and  despise  the 
hope  of  everlasting  life,  for  the  reason  that  they  are  not  fit  to  live 
now?  At  the  best,  the  life  of  this  people  is  very  moumfuL 
There  is  such  an  utter  absence  of  any  desire  to  achieve  immor- 
tality to  be  discovered  in  them.   They  pursue  daily  the  same  dull, 


PREFACE. 


xi 


never-thinking  course  of  existence ;  the  only  variation  to  which 
they  look  forward  being  that  of  hard  drinking.  The  children 
grow  up  just  in  the  same  way  ;  at  four  years  old  they  can  "  swear 
like  troopers,"  very  often  being  taught  by  their  parents  to  do  so.* 

These  outspoken  opinions  are,  as  Mrs.  Craik 
has  well  said,  "  valuable  both  in  themselves,  and  as 
coming  out  of  what  is  the  usually  silent  class — silent 
both  because  it  is  educated  neither  to  think,  nor  to 
express  its  thoughts.  Emphatically  one  of  the 
people,  born  and  living  to  the  last  amongst  the 
lowest  class  of  the  people — this  man,  with  his  rarely 
clear  brain  and  righteous  heart,  pure  from  first  to 
last,  amidst  surroundings  absolutely  unspeakable 
in  their  vileness,  John  Martin  has  a  right  to  be 
heard,  the  more  that  his  voice  comes  out  of  the 
grave." 

Surely  he  is  right  that  the  very  foundations  of 
our  national  existence  are  being  undermined.  Let 
any  thoughtful  person  drive  from  our  beautiful  West 
End  parks,  past  the  palaces  of  our  Princes,  to  Ratcliff 
Highway,  and  then  say  whether  there  do  not  exist, 
among  ourselves,  the  elements  of  a  retribution  more 
terrible  even  than  that  of  the  French  Revolution. 

It  was  in  the  midst  of  such  scenes  that  Charles 

*  "  A  Legacy,"  by  the  author  of  "  John  Halifax,"  p.  140. 


xii 


PREFACE. 


Lowder  lived  and  laboured  to  the  last.  There  are 
those  whose  time  and  talents  are  almost  wholly 
given  to  the  important  task  of  influencing  the  edu- 
cated, the  rich,  and  the  great,  and  who  feel  that  in 
gaining  one  such,  they  benefit  many  poor.  Their 
work  leads  them  into  pleasant  paths — to  the  fair 
homes  of  England — amidst  all  the  charm  and  grace 
of  the  most  perfect  and  intellectual  social  intercourse. 
There  is  the  pleasure,  which  it  is  impossible  for  any 
man  not  to  feel,  of  knowing  that  they  influence  those 
upon  whom  the  fate  of  kingdoms  depends,  and  of 
being  mixed  up  with  all  that  is  most  interesting  in 
the  history  of  our  own  time.  But  the  Vicar  of  St. 
Peter's-in-the-East  chose  literally  his  Master's  task, 
— to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  poor,  and  to  bring 
healing  to  their  bodily  ills.  No  marvel  that  one 
who  worked  chiefly  among  the  rich  and  noble  of  this 
world  should  have  been  stirred  by  his  example,  and 
that,  seeing  his  calling,  he  should  have  exclaimed, 
"  I  long  to  go  and  cast  myself  into  that  Mission."  * 

A  leading  champion  has  fallen  in  the  battle ;  but 
if  England  had  but  three  hundred  men  as  good  as 
he,  East  London  might  yet  be  reclaimed  and  saved. 
Will  not  some  such  men  volunteer  ?    Why  do  they 
*  See  p.  135. 


PREFACE. 


xiii 


not  rather  press  forward  to  the  high  emprise,  as  they 
gallantly  do  for  foreign  military  service  ? 

"  I  fear  more  for  the  rich  than  for  the  most 
degraded  poor — more  for  Belgravia  than  for  St. 
Giles' ;  for  the  more  light  there  is,  the  more  responsi- 
bility." Words  of  mournful  foreboding  from  one  to 
whom  East  London  has  been  a  subject  of  deep 
anxiety  for  half  a  century,  Dr.  Pusey.  Knowing 
the  horrors  of  those  dark  places  and  cruel  habitations 
of  our  land,  he  yet  fears  more  for  those  who  dwell 
at  ease,  surrounded  by  outward  refinement,  beauty, 
and  culture.  "  For  when  He  maketh  inquisition  for 
blood  He  remembereth  them,  and  forgetteth  not  the 
complaint  of  the  poor," 

If  there  be  anything  which  brings  still  more 
sadness  to  the  heart  than  the  degradation  of  the 
ignorant,  it  is  surely  the  thought  of  those,  called  by 
their  own  hearts,  by  education,  and  the  needs  of 
others,  to  some  noble  purpose,  who  are  yet  content 
to  dream  away  their  lives, — indifferent  spectators  of 
the  sorrows,  sins,  and  wrongs  of  men,  when  they 
might  have  been  leaders  in  the  battle  against  evil. 

There  is  a  field  in  East  London  for  as  noble  and 
knightly  adventure  as  ever  was  achieved  by  Eng- 
land's chivalry.    Even  as  the  hosts  of  Midian  were 


xiv 


PREFACE. 


of  old  delivered  into  the  hand  of  the  chosen  three 
hundred,  so,  even  now,  it  may  be,  and  our  country 
may  yet  be  saved.  The  age  of  heroic  deeds  is  not 
gone  by.  Charles  Lowder  has  shown  us  what  may 
be  done.  It  cannot  be  but  that  a  ready  answer  will 
be  given  to  the  voice,  as  of  a  trumpet-call,  from 
his  grave  :  Et  nos  vincaimt^s  aliqiiid  I — Let  us,  too, 
conquer  something." 


PREFACE  TO  THE  THIRD  EDITION. 


There  is  one  correction  in  this  edition  worth 
noticing,  that  at  page  348.  It  was  Father  Lowder 
himself,  not  the  doctor,  who  told  Mr.  Taylor  that 
he  could  not  live  till  morning.  Mr.  Taylor  who 
has  kindly  sent  the  correction,  says  that  he  was 
amazed  and  stunned  by  the  tidings,  but  that  Father 
Lowder  was  perfectly  composed. 

A  few  very  slight  inaccuracies  in  this  memoir 
have  been  set  right,  but  no  other  alteration  worth 
mentioning  has  been  made,  except  the  omission  of 
two  or  three  words  which  the  writer  regrets  should 
have  found  place  in  the  previous  editions."'' 

*  The  Rev.  Robert  Linklater  has  requested  that  mention 
should  be  made  in  this  preface  of  the  interest  now  taken  in  East 
London  work  by  our  public  schools — one  of  the  most  encouraging 
signs  that  Christian  hearts  are  awakening  to  their  responsibilities. 
Four  schools  work  or  help  in  various  parishes.  Wellington  College 


xvi  PREFACE  TO  THE  THIRD  EDITION. 

It  is  a  sorrowful  gratification  to  join  with  the 
memory  of  Father  Lowder  that  of  his  friend,  at 
whose  suggestion  and  wish  this  book  was  written, 
and  who  gained  his  rest  but  a  few  days  after  he 
had  seen  the  task  accompHshed.  Death  oftentimes 
leaves  to  the  bereaved  a  mournful  liberty ;  and  if 
the  story  of  St.  Barnabas'  from  1851  to  1856  were 
now  to  be  re-written,  a  far  larger  use  could  be 
made  of  letters  and  papers  which  were  in  Mr. 
Skinner's  possession,  since  the  writer  was  continually 
shackled  by  his  objection  to  that  being  published 
which  might  seem  to  praise  him.  The  Dedication, 
made  "without  permission,"  was  a  distress  to  him. 
His  last  dying  effort  was,  indeed,  to  write  of  those 
days  at  his  beloved  St.  Barnabas',*  but  it  was  in 
order  to  bring  out  all  that  the  Church  owes  to  his 
and  Father  Lowder's  friend,  the  Rev.  Robert 
Liddell. 

If,  as  has  been  said  in  not  unfriendly  criticism, 

and  Radley  have  taken  up  St.  Agatha's  Mission  in  St  Peter's, 
London  Docks ;  there  is  a  well-organized  parish  in  Poplar — 
church,  schools,  and  three  resident  clergy — all  due  in  the  first 
instance  to  the  Winchester  boys;  and  Eton  has  undertaken  a 
parish  in  Hackney. 

*  Letter  to  Rev.  H.  Montagu  Villiers.  Masters. 


PREFACE  TO  THE  THIRD  EDITION.  Xvii 

there  are  two  chapters  in  the  following  pages  which 
are  more  taken  up  with  Mr.  Skinner's  actions  than 
with  Father  Lowder's,  this  indeed  was  necessary. 
For  of  the  latter  there  is  hardly  any  record  during 
the  five  years  he  spent  at  St.  Barnabas',  working  and 
fighting  heartily  in  the  stronghold  which  he  helped 
to  man.  But  the  Senior  Curate,  acting  in  full 
harmony  with  the  assistant  clergy,  was  naturally 
their  spokesman  and  leader.  In  the  only  letter  of 
his  which  has  been  given,  he  expresses  their  resolve 
as  one  with  his  own,  and  asks  counsel  on  their 
behalf  as  well  as  for  himself.  The  story  of  the 
struggle  at  St.  Barnabas',  in  which  Father  Lowder 
took  an  earnest  share,  could  have  been  told  in  no 
other  way,  and  to  have  omitted  it  would  have  been 
to  pass  over  a  very  important  part  of  his  life. 

The  two  friends  parted  soon  after  that  struggle 
had  been  fought  out — one,  to  wage  a  still  harder 
battle  ;  the  other,  in  search  of  health  to  enable  him 
again  to  take  part  in  the  Church's  work. 

"  But  He  Who  portions  out  our  good  and  ill 
Willed  an  austerer  glory  should  be  his, 
And  nearer  to  the  Cross  than  to  the  Crown." 

The  higher  vocation,  of  suffering,  was  his  in 


XViii  PREFACE  TO  THE  THIRD  EDITION. 

large  measure.  How  pathetic  was  the  lifelong 
struggle  of  the  brave,  hopeful  spirit,  conscious  of 
power,  and  longing  to  work,  only  those  who  wit- 
nessed it  can  tell.  The  sorrow  of  irreparable  loss 
is  too  recent  in  hearts  that  loved  him  to  find  expres- 
sion ;  but  the  thought  of  his  exceeding  gain,  and 
memories  of  his  loving  faith,  patience,  and  courage, 
mingle  with  those 

"  calm  voices  from  the  inner  shrine, 
That  whisper  peace,  and  say.  Be  still,  Be  stilL" 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
1820-1840, 

PAGE 

Birth — Parents — Home   at    Bath — King's  College,   London — Tour  in 

Belgium — Oxford     ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  I 

CHAPTER  11. 
1840-1851. 

University  life — Failure  of  the  Old  Bath  Bank — Heidelbe^ — Ordained 
Deacon — Curacy  of  Street-cum-Walton — Missionary  longings — New 
Zealand  scheme — Ordained  Priest — Axbridge  Workhouse—  Curacy  of 
Tetbury — Family  re-united — Offer  of  Port  Natal ...  ...  ...  11 

CHAPTER  HI. 
1851. 

St.  Barnabas',  Pimlico — Letter  to  Mr,  Skinner — Sunday  at  St.  Bar- 
nabas'— Departure  from  Tetbury — Curacy  of  St.  Barnabas'— Battle 
for  law  and  liberty — Puritan  riots — Ritual  thirty  years  ago — 
Bishop  Blomfield's  policy       ...  ...  ...  ...  .,.  27 

CHAPTER  IV. 
1852-1857. 

Position  of  St.  Barnabas'  College — The  Incumbent  and  Senior  Curate — 
Struggle  for  liberty  of  worship — Letter  from  Baron  Alderson — 
Work  amongst  the  poor — Appeal  to  Church  Courts — Lushington 
Judgment — Court  of  Arches — Privy  Council  Judgment — Letters  from 
a  Barrister — Letter  from  Mr.  Liddell    ...  ...  ...  •••39 


XX 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  V. 
1854,  1855- 

PACK 

An  "  ovation  " — Summons  to  police-court — Correspondence  with  Bishop 
Blomfield — Suspension — Rouen  and  Yvetot — Reads  St.  Vincent  de 
Paul's  Life — Return  to  St.  Barnabas' — Letters  from  M.  Labbe — 
Letters  to  Mr.  W.  Lowder     ...  ...  ...         .„         „.  57 

CHAPTER  VL 
1856. 

Changes  at  St.  Barnabas' — Society  of  the  Holy  Cross — Parish  of  St. 
George's-in-the-East  —  Rev.  Bryan  King  —  Mission  begun  in  St. 
George's  —  Letters  to  Mrs.  Lovifder  —  Opposition  and  violence  — 
Calvert  Street  Mission  House — Letters  from  Mr,  King — Offer  of 
Headship  of  Mission  —  Letters  to  his  parents  —  Position  of  the 
Missioner  —  Incumbent's  jurisdiction  —  Bishop's  licence  —  Visit  to 
Frome — First  Retreat  for  Clergy  at  Dr.  Pusey's  house — Departure 
from  St.  Barnabas' — First  days  in  Calvert  Street ,..  ...  ...  73 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Field  of  the  Mission — Ratclifif  Highway — Open  wickedness — Sailors — 
Extreme  poverty — Dock  labourers       ...  ...  ...  ...  102 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Outward  bearing — Simplicity  of  character — Reserve — Perseverance — 
Tenderness  to  the  sick  and  lost — Courage  and  self-denial — Patience 
and  cheerfulness — Straightforward  purpose — Love  of  children — 
Reverence — Self-control        ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  112 

CHAPTER  IX. 
1856-1860. 

First  services  in  Calvert  Street — Dedication  of  Iron  Chapel — Visits  to  St. 
Barnabas' — Sisterhood  begun — Letter  from  Bishop  Wilberforce — 
Letter  from  Bishop  of  London — Legal  opinion  on  questions  of 
Ritual — Letters  to  Bishop  of  London — Mr.  Rowley — Atmosphere  of 


CONTENTS. 


xxi 


PAGE 

Calvert  Street — Secession  of  curates — Hard  work — Refuge  for  Peni- 
tents— Industrial  School — Home  at  Hendon — His  nurse's  death — 
Letters  to  his  brother  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  131 

CHAPTER  X. 

Mr.  Mackonochie — Wellclose  Square — Rule  at  Clergy  House — Work 
with  individuals — Confession — Eucharistic  worship — Instruction  in 
dogma — Results  in  the  parish — Public  services    ...  ...  ...  156 

CHAPTER  XI. 
1859,  i860. 

Bishop  Blomfield's  Charge  in  1842 — Mr.  Bryan  King — State  of  St. 
George's-in-the-East  parish — Hostility  to  earnest  work — Mr.  Allen 
elected  Lecturer — Riots — Sir  Richard  Mayne's  refusal — Rush  to  the 
Mission  Chapels  —  Danger  to  life  —  Rioters  checked  —  Bishop  of 
London's  letter  in  newspapers — Fresh  riots — Police  sent — Order 
restored — Police  withdrawn — Worse  outrages— Lord  Brougham's 
speech — The  Bishop's  "Monitions" — Letter  of  "A  Layman" — Letters 
from  Mr.  Thomas  Hughes — Departure  of  Mr.  King — Mr.  Hansard  in 
charge — Increased  riots — Fresh  "  Monitions  " — Mr.  Hansard  resigns 
— Victory  of  the  mob  ...         ...         ...         .,.         ...  169 

CHAPTER  XII. 
1 860-1 862. 

Good  out  of  evil — Letters  of  apology — Working  Men's  Institute — Hard 
winter  —  Money  needed  —  Letter  from  Mr.  Rowley  —  Bedminster 
Mission — Encouragements — Mr.  Mackonochie  goes  to  St,  Alban's — 
Lack  of  clergy — Holiday  tour — Italy — Austrian  Tyrol      ,„         ...  188 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
1862. 

Elementary  dogmatic  teaching — Catechizing — Child's  burial — Swiss  tour 
— Chamounix — Zermatt — Bernese  Oberland — Illness — Sent  abroad — 
Seelisberg — Rigi— St.  Gervais — Courmayeur  district — Col  St.  Theo- 
dule — Return  home — First  stone  of  St.  Peter's  laid — Autumn  tour — 
Archbishop  of  Belgrade         ...  ...  ...  ...  •••  I99 


xxil 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
1866. 

Mr.  Keble's  funeral— Consecration  of  St.  Peter's — Retreat  at  Cuddesdon  ^'''^^ 
— Cholera  at  St.  Peter's — Work  of  the  clergy  and  Sisters — Visit  of 
the  Bishop  of  London — Convalescent  Home — The  people  conquered  214 

CHAPTER  XV. 
1866-1869. 

York  Congress — Holiday  in  Scotland — Secession  of  clergy  at  Wellclose 
Square — Shattered  health — Rest  abroad — Hard  living  at  home — 
Letters  to  his  mother — Return  home — Way  of  the  Cross — Efforts 
of  Church  Association — Bishop  Jackson — Temper  of  parishioners — 
Prosecution  quashed  by  Archbishop  of  Canterbury — New  schools   ...  229 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
1869. 

Tour  in  the  Tyrol — St.  Agatha's  Mission — St.  Agatha's-in-the-Country — 
Help  from  the  rich — Night  school — Clubs — Home  at  Reigate — Play- 
ground for  East  London  children         ...         ...         ...  ...  247 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
1870,  1871. 

Illness  of  Mrs.  Lowder — Visit  to  Barmouth — Letters  from  Wales — Ascent 
of  Cader  Idris — Plymouth  Mission — His  mother's  death — Letter  to 
parishioners — Letter  to  his  father — Tour  in  Austrian  Tyrol — Passion 
Play — Ascent  of  Gross  Glockner — The  Dolomites  ...         ...  264 

CHAPTER  XVm. 
1872,  1873. 

Parish  Mission — Illness  of  his  sister — Tour  in  Ireland — Death  of  Mr. 
Statham — Tour  with  Mr.  Biscoe — Sunday  at  St.  Peter's — Work  with 
the  lads — Week-day  work — District  visiting  —  Terrors  by  night — 
Country  excursions— Inundations — Out-of-door  preaching  ...  ...  2S0 


CONTENTS. 


XXlll 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
1874-1878. 

PAGB 

Public  Worship  Regulation  Bill — Broken  health — Winter  on  the  Riviera 
— His  sister's  death— Rest  at  Chislehurst — Letter  from  a  colonial 
priest — Death  of  his  father — Letter  from  Lord  John  Thynne — Letters 
to  Miss  Lowder — Winter  in  Italy — Rome — Return  to  St.  Peter's    ...  299 

CHAPTER  XX. 
1878-1880. 

Paris — Reply  to  parishioners'  address — Story  of  a  convert — Letters  to 
him  and  to  his  widow — Peniarth — Last  Report — Christmas  tableaux 
— Last  day  in  England — Welcome  home  ,,,  ...  ...  316 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
1880. 

Last  Celebration  at  St.  Peter's — Departure  from  England — Treves — The 
Moselle —  Heidelberg — Constance — Ober- Ammergau  —  Partenkirchen 
— Wanderings  in  the  Tyrol — Zell-am-See — Over  the  Riffel-Thor — 
Ascent  of  Gross  Venediger — Return  to  Zell — Illness — English  friends 
— Death — Letter  from  Maria  Neumaier  ...  ...  ...  329 

CHAPTER  XXn. 
1880. 

The  Poor  at  St.  Peter's — The  Sisters'  journey — Working  men's  telegram 
— Night  before  the  burial — Reception  of  the  remains — Chislehurst 
churchyard — Scene  on  the  Common — Burial — The  grave — Sermon 
by  Rev.  Hari-y  Jones  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  355 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


CHAPTER  I. 

BIRTH  AND  EARLY  YEARS. 
1 820-1 840. 

"  Go,  mark  the  matchless  working  of  the  Power 
That  shuts  within  the  seed  the  future  flower.'' 

Amidst  the  many  problems  discussed  in  public  and  in 
private  there  is  one  which,  in  some  form  or  other,  is  con- 
tinually brought  forward  by  thoughtful  Churchmen—  "  How 
to  gain  the  masses  of  our  population  to  the  Church  ?  " 

Whether  the  practical  results  of  such  discussions  have 
been  anything  but  meagre  may  be  doubted,  but  it  is 
impossible  to  doubt  the  interest  which  the  subject  must 
possess  for  any  Christian  heart  to  whom  the  facts  of  the 
case  have  been  brought  home. 

And  therefore  it  may  be  well  to  record  the  life  of  one 
who  did  not  in  mere  words  discuss  the  question  of  con- 
verting our  English  heathen,  but  who  solved  it  in  action, 
and  who,  passing  from  amongst  us,  has  left  a  Christianized 
population  in  the  worst  slums  of  London  to  be  the  living 
answer  to  the  question  about  which  so  much  is  said  and 

B 


2 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


written.  He  speaks  to  us,  but  only  through  patient  action ; 
he  has  written  for  us,  but  his  "  epistle  "  is  to  be  found  in 
the  souls  and  bodies  rescued  from  degradation,  "  seen  and 
known  of  all  men." 

Charles  Fuge  Lowder  was  born  at  2,  West  Wing, 
Lansdown  Crescent,  Bath,  on  June  22,  1820,  and  was 
baptized  the  following  month  at  the  parish  church  of 
Walcot.  He  was  the  firstborn  child  of  his  parents,  Charles 
and  Susan  Lowder.  His  grandfather,  John  Lowder,  a 
retired  naval  officer,  had,  some  time  about  the  middle  of 
the  last  century,  bought  a  piece  of  ground  on  Lansdown 
Hill,  Bath.  There  he  built  a  house,  to  which  he  brought 
his  family  from  Southampton. 

This  house,  afterwards  occupied  by  Mr.  Beckford,  the 
eccentric  author  of  "Vathek,"  was  the  first  beginning  of 
Lansdown  Crescent,  then  the  highest  inhabited  part  of  the 
city.  Here  John  Lowder  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life, 
and  here  he  died  in  18 10,  leaving  a  widow  (daughter  of 
Dr.  Glass,  a  well-known  Exeter  physician)  and  several  sons 
and  daughters. 

The  youngest  of  the  family  was  Charles,  the  comfort 
and  delight  of  ^his  widowed  mother,  whom  he  tended 
with  dutiful  love  and  care  during  the  eleven  years  of  her 
widowhood.  Two  3'ears  before  her  death  he  had  married 
Susan,  second  daughter  of  Robert  Fuge,  of  Plymouth  ;  and 
at  the  invitation  of  his  great  friend,  Johnson  Phillott 
(brother-in-law  to  his  wife),  he  made  his  house  their  home 
until  the  birth  of  their  firstborn  child. 

This  child  had  indeed  an  inheritance  of  rare  goodness, 
as  well  as  of  personal  comeliness. 

I  had  opportunities  of  knowing  his  parents  (\nites  one  who  in 


CHARLES  LOWDER'S  PARENTS. 


3 


after  years  had  indirectly  some  influence  on  the  destinies  of  their 
son),  and  I  have  never  known  any  who,  under  heavy  trials,  so  per- 
fectly exemplified  the  difficult  character  of  "  patient  in  tribulation." 

There  are  few  afflictions  really  harder  to  be  borne  without 
flinching  in  the  face  of  our  fellow-men,  than  the  loss  of  wealth 
and  worldly  position,  even  when  it  comes  without  leaving  any 
room  for  blame.  Such  an  affliction  befell  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lowder 
at  a  moment  when  they  were  in  the  high  day  of  health  and 
vigorous  usefulness,  and  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  social  popularity 
in  Bath ;  but  it  remains  v/ith  me  still,  as  an  abiding  lesson  which 
I  shall  never  forget,  how  they  both  impressed  me  with  their  calm, 
unruffled  gentleness  of  temper,  and  the  sweet  dignity  of  their 
resignation  to  the  will  of  God.  They  were  a  remarkably  "  beauti- 
ful" couple,  in  that  true  sense  of  "beauty"  which  bespeaks 
nobility  of  character  sanctified  by  grace,  as  well  as  in  the  ordinary 
sense  of  physical  form;  and  no  one  could  spend  an  hour  in  their 
company  without  feeling  refreshed  by  intercourse  with  such  good 
and  winning  people. 

Mr.  Lowder  was  partner  in  the  Old  Bath  Bank,  and  a 
comparatively  rich  man ;  and  his  unwearied  exertions  to 
promote  the  welfare  of  others,  especially  of  those  whose 
circumstances  were  less  happy  than  his  own,  had  won  for 
him  in  his  native  city  the  name  of  "  the  poor  man's  friend." 
And  not  undeservedly,  for  to  the  poor  hi-s  thought,  leisure, 
and  money  were  ungrudgingly  devoted,  and  in  all  bene- 
volent efforts  he  received  sympathy  and  encouragement 
from  his  wife. 

Most  good  men  have  had  good  mothers,  and  have  been 
encompassed  by  their  prayers,  and  it  is  touching  to  read, 
in  the  light  of  her  son's  life,  the  daily  prayer  used  by  Mrs. 
Lowder  for  the  yet  unborn  infant :  "  Bless  it,  O  God,  in 
mind  as  well  as  in  body  ;  endue  it  with  an  understanding 


4 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


capable  of  knowing  Thee,  with  a  heart  strongly  bent  to 
fear  Thee,  and  with  all  those  holy  and  good  dispositions 
that  may  make  it  always  pleasing  in  Thy  sight.  Make 
me  a  joyful  mother  of  a  hopeful  child,  who  may  live  to 
be  an  instrument  of  Thy  glory,  and  by  serving  Thee 
faithfully  and  doing  good  in  his  generation  may  be  received 
into  Thine  everlasting  kingdom." 

Thus  she  prayed  for  her  child,  and  truly  God  gave  her 
the  petition  which  she  asked  of  Him. 

Before  the  birth  of  his  eldest  daughter,  Mr.  Lowdef 
had  made  a  home  of  his  own  at  9,  West  Wing,  Lansdown 
Crescent,  and  here  his  three  elder  daughters  were  born. 
A  fourth  daughter  was  born  in  1830;  and  in  1831  the 
family  was  completed  by  the  arrival  of  a  son,  William 
Henry,  who,  coming  after  four  girls,  was  welcomed  by  his 
elder  brother  with  infinite  satisfaction.  On  hearing  the 
news,  he  insisted  on  the  whole  family  marching  in  procession 
into  the  courtyard,  where  he  ordered  them  to  clap  their 
hands  in  honour  of  the  event. 

Family  affections  seem  to  have  had  a  more  than 
common  hold  on  Charles  Lowder,  and  to  have  been, 
throughout  his  career,  the  softening  influence  of  his  life ; 
and  these  affections  were  doubtless  greatly  fostered  by 
the  circumstances  of  his  boyhood,  families  of  relations 
both  on  his  father's  and  mother's  side  being  settled  close 
around  his  home,  all  living  on  the  most  loving  terms  with 
each  other,  while  a  large  circle  of  valued  friends,  many 
with  young  families  growing  up,  supplied  abundance  of 
playfellows  for  the  children.  An  old  friend  speaks  of 
Charles,  in  these  early  days,  as  a  "  most  sweet,  bright,  and 
courteous  little  fellow." 


EARLY  TRAINING. 


5 


The  careful  moral  and  religious  training  given  to  their 
children  by  such  parents  as  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lowder  need 
hardly  be  mentioned ;  but  there  was  this  special  advantage 
in  their  education,  not  so  common  then  as  now,  that  they 
were  trained  in  definite  religious  principles.  Their  father, 
born  in  a  time  of  Church  laxity,  and  educated  in  a  Moravian 
school,  had,  early  in  life,  studied  the  claims  of  the  Church 
of  his  baptism,  and  intelligently  submitted  himself  to 
them  ;  and,  his  wife  being  of  one  mind  with  himself,  their 
children  were  early  imbued  with  fixed  principles  as  to  their 
religious  position  and  privileges.  Nor  did  any  day  pass 
without  a  Bible  lesson  from  their  mother,  besides  the  too 
often  neglected  rule  that  some  portion  of  Holy  Scripture 
should  daily  be  repeated  by  the  children. 

Charles  was  sent,  at  seven  years  old,  to  a  day  school 
kept  by  the  Rev.  Harvey  Marriott,  and  soon  after  to  a 
school  kept  by  the  Rev.  Edward  Simms  in  a  farmhouse 
lately  built  in  the  Park,  then  being  laid  out  at  Bath. 

One  of  his  first  letters  shows  the  little  boy's  interest 
in  politics,  which  became  very  keen  in  his  youth  and  early 
manhood. 

Bath,  Aug.  5,  1829. 

My  dear  Mamma, 

I  went  to  Mr.  Simms's  on  Monday.  I  like  him  very 
well ;  he  wears  his  gown.  We  are  to  learn  Caesar  and  Greek 
Delectus,  and  to  read  Goldsmith's  "  History  of  Rome."  O'Connell 
is  to  sit  in  Parliament. 

OtI:er  letters  show  how  eagerly  the  schoolboy  read 
nev/spapers,  and  with  what  interest  he  followed  the  passing 
of  the  Emancipation  Bill  through  Parliament,  and  the 
exciting  public  events  connected  with  it.    Later  on,  his 


6 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


energies  in  this  line  had  full  scope  during  the  exciting 
election  at  Bath  in  1838,  when,  after  severe  exertions  made 
by  his  father  and  other  members  of  their  committee,  two 
Conservative  members  were  returned.  Charles  found  very 
congenial  occupation  in  bringing  up  the  voters,  and  ran 
some  risks,  so  great  was  the  uproar  on  the  occasion. 

His  bodily  strength  and  activity  kept  pace  with  his 
mental  growth  ;  he  was  foremost  in  sports  ;  and  his  sister 
recalls  his  "  bright  radiant  face,  as  he  marched  out  with  his 
schoolfellows,  armed  with  wooden  swords,  to  defend  or 
attack  'The  Lion's  Den,'  in  the  pretty  little  village  of 
Charlecombe,  near  Bath." 

After  a  few  months  at  Bruton  School,  he  passed,  in 
1835,  to  King's  College  School,  London,  of  which  Dr.  Major 
was  then  Head  Master.  When  consulted  after  a  time  by 
Mr.  Lowder  as  to  the  advisability  of  preparing  Charles  for 
a  University  education.  Dr.  Major  wrote  of  "  the  steadi- 
ness of  character  and  fixedness  of  principle,  based,"  he 
adds,  "  I  am  convinced,  upon  a  firmer  foundation  than 
mere  human  strength,  which  will  enable  him  to  resist 
successfully  the  temptations  with  which  that  career  may 
be  beset." 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  his  character  had  been 
greatly  strengthened  by  his  confirmation,  which  had  taken 
place  in  October,  1836,  just  as  he  entered  the  senior  depart- 
ment of  King's  College ;  and  in  after  years  he  referred  to 
it  as  marking  an  important  era  in  his  spiritual  life. 

The  honourable  position  which  he  won  at  his  final 
examination  proves  that  he  must  have  used  his  natural 
abilities  well  and  conscientiously  while  a  student  at  King's 
College. 


FIRST  FOREIGN  TOUR. 


7 


You  will  be  happy  to  hear  (Dr.  Major  wrote  to  his  father) 
that  your  son  stands  first  in  theological  subjects,  second  in  classics, 
sixth  in  mathematics,  second  in  German,  and  ranks  among  the 
most  distinguished  in  Professor  Dale's  department  (English 
literature). 

He  had  the  advantage,  while  in  the  College,  of  being 
brought  into  contact  with  distinguished  men,  who  suc- 
ceeded each  other  as  principals — Hugh  Jannes  Rose  and 
Dr.  Lonsdale,  afterwards  the  venerable  Bishop  of  Lich- 
field. 

Charles  left  King's  College  in  1839,  ^^^d  was  rewarded 
for  his  steady  perseverance  while  there  by  being  allowed  to 
make  his  first  acquaintance  with  the  Continent.  Very  early 
letters  discover  the  passion  that  remained  with  him  through 
life,  to  be  his  greatest  refreshment  at  intervals  of  hardest 
work — the  intense  love  for  and  enjoyment  of  fine  scenery. 
And  now  a  little  trip  to  Belgium,  in  the  summer  of  1839, 
in  company  with  his  father  and  an  old  friend,  was  the  first 
of  a  long  series  of  interesting  and  sometimes  important 
tours,  ending  with  that  which  brought  his  whole  earthly 
pilgrimage  to  a  close. 

In  February,  1840,  he  entered  at  Exeter  College, 
Oxford,  of  which  Dr.  Richards  was  then  rector,  and  Mr. 
William  Sewell  one  of  the  tutors.  In  the  previous  year, 
he  had  tried  for  a  scholarship  at  University  College,  to 
which  the  following  letter  refers  : — 

My  dear  Browne,* 

It  is  due  to  you  as  well  as  to  Mr.  Lowder  that  I 
should  send  you  a  few  lines  to  say  that  he  acquitted  himself  with 

*  Now  Archdeacon  of  Bath,  then  Classical  Professor  at  King's  College, 
London. 


8 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


great  credit  in  the  course  of  his  examination  for  our  scholarship, 
though  his  competitors  were  too  strong  for  him.  He  performed 
most  of  his  exercises  in  a  manner  which  did  him  great  credit. 
We  were  so  much  pleased  with  his  examination  and  his  general 
demeanour,  that  we  offered  to  admit  him  and  give  him  his  rooms 
next  Easter  if  he  wished  to  reside  so  early,  and  I  should  have 
been  very  glad  to  have  had  him  a  member  of  this  College.  But 
his  destination  was  already  fixed  at  Exeter.  We  were  obliged  to 
you  for  sending  us  so  good  a  candidate. 

Yours  very  truly, 

F.  C.  Plumptre. 

Charles  Lowder  came  to  Oxford  when  the  Tractarian 
movement  vi^as  in  its  very  flower  and  vigorous  freshness, 
and  was  amongst  those  on  whom  it  worked  most  power- 
fully. The  three  great  leaders  were  in  the  prime  of  their 
labours  and  influence  :  Mr.  Keble  was  Professor  of  Poetry, 
Dr.  Pusey  was  startling  the  University  by  his  sermons  and 
incisive  teaching  of  forgotten  or  overclouded  truths,  and  the 
hermit  of  Littlemore  held  spellbound  and  fascinated  the 
students  who  weekly  thronged  St.  Mary's  to  hear  from  him 
what  he  had  learned  and  received  himself  in  the  silence 
of  prayer  and  study.  Their  teaching  was  no  novelty  to 
Charles,  but  rather  the  strengthening  and  filling  in  of 
outlines  already  familiar. 

He  mentions  a  sermon  of  Dr.  Pusey 's  on  "  The  Duty 
and  Benefits  of  Fasting  "  as  "  containing  much  good  advice 
to  those  who  were  endeavouring  for  the  first  time  to  act  up 
to  the  principles  which  the  Church  has  laid  down  for  the 
present  season." 

A  few  sentences  may  be  given  from  another  letter,  as 
anticipating  the  consistent  practice  of  the  future  priest  in 
his  after  life  : — 


NEWMAN'S  SERMONS. 


9 


I  heard  a  most  excellent  sermon  yesterday  from  Newman  ;  the 
text  was  from  St.  Jude,  "  These  are  spots  in  your  feasts  of  charity." 
"  A  danger  of  the  present  time,"  Newman  said,  "  arose  from  what 
might  be  called  the  luxury  of  religion."  None  could  rejoice  more 
than  the  preacher  himself  at  the  increased  regard  to  ecclesiastical 
architecture,  music,  the  ornamenting  of  our  churches,  etc.,  but 
still  it  must  be  recollected  that  these  required  to  be  accompanied 
by  personal  holi?tess,  and  that  even  the  spirit  of  devotion  might 
become  litde  better  than  a  luxurious  pleasure,  unless  we  maintained 
a  spirit  of  self-denial  in  it,  to  remind  us  that  we  are  not  to  make 
everything  so  much  a  gratification  to  ourselves,  as  a  sacrifice  to 
God. 

Mr.  Lovi'der's  consistent  practice  was,  indeed,  a  meet 
outcome  of  such  instruction  ;  for  his  mind  seems  to  have 
seized  upon  and  assimilated  whatever  bore  on  the  necessity 
for  self-sacrifice  as  the  only  true  and  right  result  of  more 
than  ordinary  means  of  grace. 

He  writes  of  having  been  especially  impressed  by  a 
sermon  of  Archdeacon  Manning,  "  On  the  Danger  of  Sinning 
amid  Religious  Privileges  ; "  and  another  sermon  of  Man- 
ning's *  seems  to  have  sunk  very  deeply  into  his  heart  and 
memory.  Indeed,  his  life  was  but  the  working  out  of  its 
concluding  sentences : — 

The  Church  asks  not  for  yours  only,  but  for  you.  This  is  the 
return  she  would  demand  for  your  spiritual  nurture  here,  that  you 
give  VL^  yourselves ;  it  is  your  own  selves  that  she  requires.  You 
must  expect  to  labour  in  season  and  out  of  season,  trials,  crosses, 
disappointments,  the  opposition  of  enemies,  the  lukewarmness  of 
friends,  slights  and  misconstructions,  ingratitude  and  rebuke.  But 
all  these  are  light  things  compared  to  that  heavy  load  of  responsi- 
bility which  every  minister  of  God  has  laid  upon  him,  viz.  to 
answer  for  the  souls  of  his  flock.  Great,  then,  is  the  probation 
*  On  St.  John  xviii.  i6. 


10 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


here  of  those  who  would  take  upon  them  these  sacred  fimctions, 
but  great  shall  be  the  reward  hereafter  of  all  who,  in  meekness 
and  singleness  of  heart,  aiming  only  at  God's  glory  and  the 
salvation  of  souls,  put  their  hand  to  the  plough,  and,  with  God's 
grace  resting  on  their  endeavours,  desire  not  to  look  back. 


CHAPTER  II. 


ORDINATION  AND  FIRST  CURACY. 
1840-1851. 

*'  The  end  proves  all,  and  that  is  still  to  come." 

The  first  year  of  Charles  Lowder's  residence  at  Oxford 
was  marked  by  the  publication  of  Tract  XC,  and  the  next 
by  the  suspension  of  Dr.  Pusey. 

On  the  latter  subject  he  writes  to  his  father — 

I  think  the  present  persecution  of  Dr.  Pusey  may  all  turn 
out  for  the  best,  for  even  moderate  men  cannot  deny  the  gross  in- 
justice of  condemning  him  unheard.  It  is  generally  believed  that 
the  Board  could  come  to  no  collective  judgment,  for  they  differ 
from  one  another  in  their  views,  and  so  the  Vice-Chancellor  has  no 
reason  to  give  for  his  sentence.  Wall  has  taken  a  very  active 
part,  and  I  was  talking  to  him  yesterday  about  it,  just  after  the 
Vice  had  sent  him  an  answer  to  the  Requisition,  viz.  that  he 
could  not  assign  any  reasons.  The  sermon  will  be  published  to- 
morrow, and  so  the  heresy,  if  there  is  any,  will  spread  hke  wild- 
fire. I  heard  it  at  Christ  Church,  but  did  not  remark  anything 
objectionable,  but  of  course  I  cannot  be  answerable  for  hearing 
all  that  he  said  or  understanding  it. 

Whilst  thus  interesting  himself  deeply  in  the  movement 
to  the  practical  results  of  which  amongst  the  heathen  of 
London  he  gave  his  life,  Charles  was  diligently  reading ; 


12 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


relaxing  himself  meanwhile  by  long  walks,  rowing,  and  the 
society  of  friends.  With  his  high  spirits,  popular  manners, 
and  thorough  enjoyment  of  innocent  amusements,  it  was 
indeed  well  that  he  had  never  lost  sight  of  the  serious 
aspect  of  life  and  of  its  duties,  and  that  he  had  early 
desired  to  devote  himself  wholly  to  God's  service  as  a 
priest  of  His  Church.  For  before  half  his  Oxford  career 
had  passed,  a  severe  and  searching  trial  befell  him  and  his 
family  in  the  failure  of  the  Old  Bath  Bank,  in  which  his 
father  was  a  partner.  Although  it  was  caused  by  mis- 
placed confidence  in  others,  and  not  the  slightest  reflection 
was  cast  on  the  integrity  of  any  of  the  partners,  yet  the 
fact  remained  that  the  bank  had  failed  and  that  the  means 
of  providing  for  their  families  were  gone. 

Universal  sympathy  was  felt  and  abundantly  expressed 
at  so  unlooked-for  a  calamity. 

All  who  know  you  (one  friend  wrote  to  Mr.  Lowder) 
grieve  indeed  that  your  generous  confidence  in  others  should 
have  been  so  deceived,  whilst  they  justly  exonerate  yourselves  from 
blame. 

If  (says  another)  in.  t'^.e  hour  of  trial  it  be  a  consolation 
to  know  that  you  possess  the  esteem,  the  love,  and  the  confidence 
of  all  to  whom  you  are  known,  you  have  that  consolation  in  the 
highest  degree. 

Nor  were  the  expressions  of  sympathy  confined  to 
words  ;  most  generous  and  delicate  acts  accompanied  them. 
An  old  family  friend,  who  had  been  proved  in  joy  and 
sorrow  and  never  found  wanting,  requested  that  he  might 
undertake  the  charge  of  enabling  Charles  to  conclude  his 
University  education,  at  the  same  time  offering  a  home  to 
the  whole  family  till  future  plans  could  be  considered  and 
matured. 


FAMILY  LETTERS. 


13 


Charles  himself  proved  to  be  an  apt  scholar  in  learning 
the  lesson  of  courage  and  Christian  patience  afforded  by 
his  parents'  example.  There  is  no  trace  in  his  letters  at 
the  time  of  any  irritating  or  crushing  effect  from  this 
reverse,  but  rather  every  token  of  the  wise  and  religious 
spirit  in  which  he  accepted  it,  consoling  his  parents,  and 
manifesting  the  desire  which  never  left  him  of  becoming 
the  support  and  mainstay  of  his  famil}'. 

I  doubt  not  (he  writes)  that  if  we  are  spared  to  look  back  on 
the  trials  which  it  is  now  our  lot  to  go  through,  we  may  think 
these  the  happiest,  because  the  most  instructive,  days  of  our 
life.  .  .  .  Although,  from  circumstances,  we  were  not  thrown 
into  pleasures  and  amusements  whi^h  would  keep  all  sober 
reflections  from  our  minds,  yet  still  there  were  many  habits  which 
one  quiet  routine  of  duty  would  engender,  not  altogether  consistent 
with  the  feelings  which  a  Christian  should  always  keep  uppermost 
in  his  mind,  viz.  that  he  is  but  a  stranger  and  a  pilgrim  upon 
earth.  ...  I  think  therefore  that  we  may  learn  to  acknowledge 
the  wisdom  of  God,  who,  in  this  important  period  of  our  lives, 
has  taught  us  not  to  look  here  for  a  certain  abiding-place. 

Through  the  kindness  of  the  friend  who  was  main- 
taining him  at  College,  Charles  spent  the  Long  Vacation  of 
1842  with  a  reading  party  at  Heidelberg  ;  denying  himself, 
in  order  to  save  travelling  expenses  in  England,  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  his  family,  who  were  then  living  at 
Chudleigh,  near  Exeter. 

His  father  writes  to  him — 

Chudleigh,  June  21,  1842. 
It  is  fitting,  my  dearest  Charles,  that  you  should  receive  a 
father's  blessing  on  your  birthday.    May  God  bless  and  preserve 
you,  and  keep  you  ever  in  holy  living,  and  by  His  grace  fit  you 
for  holy  dying  whenever  that  solemn  hour  come  upon  you.  May 


14 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


your  intended  travels  be  both  agreeable  and  instructive,  and  may 
the  great  object  which  you  have  in  view  in  this  excursion  be 
completely  accomplished,  viz.  the  attainment  of  honours  in  your 
academical  career,  in  order  that  you  may  more  successfully 
minister  in  God's  Church,  and  thereby  promote  His  glory  on 
earth  and  the  temporal  and  eternal  welfare  of  man.  This  is  the 
sincere  prayer  of 

Your  affectionate  Father. 

After  three  months'  steady  reading  Charles  returned  to 
Oxford,  and  from  thence  writes  to  his  mother — 

I  now  feel  quite  settled  dowTi  to  work,  for  though  there  was 
not  a  very  long  interval  between  leaving  our  books  at  Heidelberg 
and  taking  them  up  again  here,  yet  our  journey  home  was  a 
break  which  I  think  we  really  required ;  for  a  pretty  steady 
application  for  three  months  tells  upon  you,  and  really  demands 
a  little  rest.  I  look  forward  to  my  next  break,  though  not  -with 
impatience,  as  there  is  something  to  be  done  before  it,  but  with 
the  pleasant  anticipation  of  seeing  you  all  again,  for  I  have  never 
been  absent  from  you  so  long  as  from  April  to  Christmas.  Mr. 
Willis  has  been  up  here,  and  I  have  been  engaged  in  going  about 
with  him.  We  walked  over  to  Littlemore  yesterday,  as  he  wanted 
to  see  Newman,  who  took  us  into  the  chapel. 

At  Easter,  1843,  he  took  his  degree,  and,  after  most 
despondent  forebodings,  he  was  not  displeased  to  find  his 
name  in  the  "  classical  list"  am.ong  the  second-class  men. 

My  rooms  (he  wrote)  look  out  on  the  schools,  so  I  could  see 
the  men  collecting  as  the  time  drew  near  for  the  list  to  come  cut, 
but  I  could  not  muster  up  courage  enough  to  go  and  wait  for  it 
myself.  .  .  .  When  from  the  cheering  and  running  off  mth  the 
news,  I  saw  that  the  list  had  come  out,  my  heart  began  to  beat 
rather  more  quickly  than  usual,  but  at  last,  when  I  saw  Powles 
running  towards  my  lodgings,  I  thought  it  must  be  all  right,  and 
so  it  proved. 


DEACON'S  ORDERS. 


15 


Of  course  (he  adds),  it  is  a  great  relief  to  my  mind  that  I 
have  got  some  substantial  proof  that  I  have  not  wasted  my  time 
up  here,  and  that  I  have  turned  my  reading  to  good  account. 
All  our  dons  are  well  pleased,  as  we  have  one  first  and  three 
seconds  from  Exeter. 

Later  on,  alluding  to  his  appearance  in  the  fourth  class 
for  mathematics,  he  thus  accounts  for  it : — 

I  hoped  that  I  had  succeeded  in  taking  my  name  off  alto- 
gether, but  having  unfortunately  done  two  questions,  they  must 
needs  give  me  a  fourth,  much  to  my  disgust. 

After  obtaining  so  honourable  a  position  in  classics,  he 
was  advised  to  try  for  a  College  Fellowship. 

You  may  easily  fancy  (he  writes)  that  I  am  quite  sick  of 
examinations ;  luckily,  on  the  present  occasion  I  do  not  feel 
very  anxious,  except  to  acquit  myself  well  in  the  eyes  of  the 
College.  I  do  not  feel  that  I  have  any  chance,  as  there  are  several 
good  men  in  for  it. 

The  disappointment,  consequently,  was  not  severe  when 
he  found  that  the  present  Lord  Chief  Justice  (Lord 
Coleridge)  was  the  successful  candidate. 

Soon  after  taking  his  degree,  he  accepted  the  ofifer  of  a 
title  for  deacon's  orders  from  Lord  John  Thynne,  Rector 
of  Walton-cum-Street,  near  Glastonbury,  and  Sub-Dean  of 
Westminster,  who  required  his  curate  to  be  also  tutor  to 
his  three  sons ;  and  on  September  24,  1843,  received 
deacon's  orders  from  the  Bishop  (Denison)  of  Salisbury 
(ordaining  for  the  infirm  Bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells),  and 
at  once  began  his  duties  at  Walton. 

In  his  first  letter  from  thence  to  his  father,  he  writes — 

It  was  a  great  comfort  to  me,  I  assure  you,  in  taking  upon 
myself  the  solemn  vows  which  I  have  just  done,  to  think  that  I 


i6 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


not  only  shared  in  the  prayers  of  the  Church  in  general  with  those 
who  were  with  me  admitted  to  this  office  in  the  Church,  but  that 
there  were  also  many  friends  and  families  by  whom  I  was  more 
especially  called  to  mind,  and  commended  to  the  guidance  of 
God's  Holy  Spirit.  It  required  indeed  such  an  assurance  to 
support  me  in  the  thought  of  the  great  responsibility  which 
particularly  in  the  present  state  of  the  Church)  is  laid  upon 
the  shoulders  of  its  ministers,  and  I  can  only  pray  and  desire  the 
prayers  of  others  also,  that  the  same  Holy  Spirit  who  has  led  me 
to  seek  this  office,  may  give  me  grace,  in  the  words  of  St.  Paul, 
so  to  use  that  office  that  I  may  purchase  to  myself  a  good 
degree. 

In  the  same  letter  he  describes  his  first  entrance  on  his 
pubHc  clerical  duties,  which  (on  the  first  Sunday)  consisted 
in  reading  prayers  and  preaching  and  taking  a  funeral  in 
the  evening. 

Entering  on  his  tutorial  duties  in  his  usual  bright  and 
happy  temper,  he  writes,  after  a  little  experience — 

I  am  going  on  very  pleasantly,  and  like  my  prospects  much. 
I  had  no  idea  I  should  feel  so  well  disposed  towards  my  tutoring, 
but  having  nice  boys  to  deal  with  makes  a  great  difference. 

His  fellow-curate  at  Street  was  Mr.  Merrinian,  now  the 
venerable  Bishop  of  Grahamstown,  who  was  then  preparing 
himself  for  his  devoted  missionary  labours  in  South  Africa. 
His  example  and  conversation  were  contagious,  and  exer- 
cised a  life-long  influence  on  the  younger  curate,  whose 
own  distinct  desire  for  mission  work  may  be  dated  from 
this  time.  This  desire  grew  and  strengthened  with  years, 
and,  as  we  shall  see,  caused  him  on  more  than  one  occasion 
great  searchings  of  heart  before  he  could  decide  on  his 
path  of  duty.    The  zeal  which  he  would  so  willingly 


NEW  ZEALAND  SCHEME. 


17 


have  employed  in  foreign  lands  was,  however,  to  be  con- 
centrated on  the  teeming  thousands  of  his  native  land, 
and  the  large  sympathies  of  his  heart  were  to  find  their 
vent  in  the  unattractive  slums  of  the  great  Babylon  of 
England. 

So  earnestly,  however,  had  he  set  his  mind  on  missionary 
labour  that,  after  a  few  months  at  Walton,  he  proposed  to 
his  family  that  they  should  all  emigrate  to  New  Zealand, 
and  work  there  as  a  Christian  family  for  their  maintenance, 
while  he  should  devote  himself,  under  the  noble  Bishop  of 
that  new  diocese,  to  the  spiritual  duties  of  his  calling.  It 
was  (as  Mr.  Ernest  Hawkins,  the  energetic  Secretary  to 
the  S.P.G.,  remarked  in  answer  to  the  proposal)  a  novel 
one.  "  I  see  no  difficulty,"  he  added,  "  but  in  the  means  of 
support,  though  this  is  a  serious  one  ;  nevertheless  I  would 
urge  you  not  hastily  to  give  up  the  plan,  which  seems  a 
most  wise  and  Christian  one." 

The  scheme  was  submitted  to  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Pinder, 
then  Principal  of  the  Theological  College  at  Wells,  an 
interested  and  valued  friend,  who  gave  it  his  approval ;  and 
Archdeacon  Brymer  of  Bath  wrote  an  introductory  letter 
to  Bishop  Selwyn,  setting  forth  the  qualifications  of  his 

old  friend  Mr.  Lowder,  senior,  either  for  educational  or 

agricultural  duties  in  a  new  colony. 

Some  extracts  from  a  long  letter  addressed  to  the  old 

family  friend  before  mentioned,  will  best  express  Charles's 

motives  in  proposing  the  scheme  : — 

I  have  now  for  some  time  felt  a  growing  desire  to  engage 
in  missionary  labours.  The  more  I  reflected  on  the  subject,  the 
more  I  felt  what  a  vast  field  of  labour  lay  before  us  in  Christian- 
iz'Tig  our  colonial  possessions — what  need  tliere  was,  not  merely 

c 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


of  money  and  resources,  but  of  labourers  in  the  Lord's  vineyard, 

and  that,  however  insufficient  the  present  number  of  clergy  in  our 
own  country  may  appear,  and  really  is,  for  the  wants  of  the  popu- 
lation, yet  that  in  the  colonies,  whose  interests,  both  religious  and 
political,  we  are  bound  by  all  the  ties  of  duty  to  protect,  the 
deficiency  is  most  awful.  With  these  views,  I  could  not  but 
desire  to  offer  my  poor  services  in  the  great  work.  I  feel  that  it 
is  the  highest  sphere  of  duty  to  which  a  clergyman  can  be  called, 
far  from  the  temptations .  to  ease,  luxury,  and  seeking  for  pre- 
ferment which  surround  him  in  this  country,  and  affording  oppor- 
tunity for  the  entire  devotion  of  all  his  mental  and  physical 
powers  to  the  service  of  his  Master.  But  entertaining  as  I  did 
most  sincerely  these  feelings,  which  I  cannot  but  think  were 
implanted  in  my  mind  by  God's  grace,  I  also  reflected  that  I  was 
not,  in  the  peculiar  circumstances  of  my  family,  free  to  entertain 
them.  I  remembered  that  I  had  a  plain,  straightforward  duty 
to  them ;  that,  as  long  as  I  had  it  in  my  power,  it  v/ould  be  my 
duty  and  happiness  to  share  with  them  whatever  means  of  support 
the  Almighty  might  see  fit  to  afford  me.  It  was  not  with  me  a 
mere  family  affection,  which  it  would  perhaps  have  become  me  to 
forget  in  the  thought  of  the  higher  duty  which  I  owed  to  God, 
but  whether  I  was  not  bound  to  turn  my  labours  to  the  best 
account  in  England,  consistent  with  my  ordination  vows,  in  order 
to  afford  them  the  jneans  of  support  I  felt  the  force  of  this 
latter  consideration,  and  therefore  endeavoured  to  stifle  my 
missionary  desires,  which,  I  can  assure  you,  was  a  source  of  great 
pain  and  no  little  difficulty  to  me.  The  thought,  however,  at  last 
suggested  itself  that  my  father  and  the  rest  of  my  family  might 
be  not  unwilling  to  engage  in  similar  labours  according  to  their 
several  abilities,  and  I  felt  how  much  assistance  they  might  afford 
in  carrying  out  the  object  I  had  so  much  at  heart.  I  accordingly 
proposed  it  to  them ;  my  father  and  mother  both  consented,  the 
former  entering  into  it  most  warmly,  as  well  as  Susan  and  Mary. 
After  due  consideration,  we  determined  to  make  an  application  to 
the  Secretary  of  the  S.P.G.,  who  encouraged  our  views  and  advised 


DIFFICULTIES. 


19 


US  to  make  them  known  to  the  Bishop  of  New  Zealand.  This  I 
have  done,  and  we  now  await  the  result  of  our  application. 

It  can  be  easily  understood  that  a  scheme  of  this  nature 
did  not  commend  itself  to  all  members  of  the  family,  and 
one  especially,  whose  excellent  judgment  always  carried 
great  weight,  saw  many  practical  and  prudential  objections 
to  its  accomplishment.    To  him  Charles  writes — 

Prospects  must  not  be  confounded  with  duties ;  every  one 
has  a  right  to  give  up  his  worldly  expectations,  provided  he  injures 
no  one  but  himself  by  so  doing ;  nor  can  I  subscribe  to  the 
principle  which  I  have  heard  maintained,  that  those  only  who 
have  no  prospects  in  England  should  go  out  as  missionaries.  May 
we  not  be  allowed — indeed,  are  we  not  called  upon? — to  make 
sacrifices,  and  does  it  not  increase  confidence  in  the  purity  of  our 
motives  to  feel  that  we  are  not  consulting  private  ends  in  the 
course  we  adopt  ?  I  cannot,  then,  but  believe  that,  as  far  as  I  am 
myself  concerned,  I  have  a  perfect  right  to  give  up  my  own 
worldly  expectations,  and  I  feel  the  highest  pleasure  in  being  able 
to  do  so  in  behalf  of  so  holy  a  cause.  .  .  .  The  reasonable 
prospect  of  making  ourselves  useful  will,  I  doubt  not,  support  us 
through  many  trials,  and  if,  by  God's  grace,  we  may  be  made  the 
instruments  of  turning  others  to  salvation,  what  greater  reward 
can  be  desired  ?  It  has  proved  sufficient  to  rouse  the  energies  of 
many  before  us  who  will  be  noble  examples  for  our  imitation,  and 
may  we.  not  hope  to  follow  in  the  same  path  ?  Though  I  trust  it 
may  please  God  to  smooth  the  way  for  the  accomplishment  of 
this  object  which  we  have  so  much  at  heart,  of  course  it  must 
depend  on  the  encouragement  which  the  Bishop  gives  us  whether 
New  Zealand  be  our  destination. 

Considering  the  amount  of  thought  and  anxiety  which 
this  scheme  must  necessarily  have  occasioned  to  its  origi- 
nator, and  this  in  addition  to  his  constant  daily  work  with 


20 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


pupils  and  parish,  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  strain  should 
have  told  on  mind  and  body. 

After  some  months  he  writes  that  he  is  "feeh'ng  un- 
equal to  his  duties,"  and  as  the  conclusion  of  his  diaconate 
is  drawing  near,  and  he  cannot  obtain  a  title  for  priest's 
orders  at  Walton,  he  wishes  to  resign  his  duties  there,  and 
take  some  temporary  work  till  the  expected  answer  from 
the  Bishop  of  New  Zealand  shall  arrive.  The  result  was 
that  he  applied  for,  and  obtained,  the  office  of  Chaplain 
to  the  Axbridge  Workhouse,  the  Bishop  consenting,  as  a 
favour,  to  accept  the  position  as  a  title  for  priest's  orders. 

Although  the  connection  between  the  young  pastor  and 
his  flock  at  Walton  had  been  of  such  brief  duration,  he  had 
succeeded  in  winning  much  sincere  affection,  and  the  sever- 
ance was  not  effected  without  painful  emotions  on  both 
sides. 

I  felt  much  (he  writes)  at  leaving.  I  had  doleful  partings  with 
parishioners,  and  I  trust  I  have  left  many  who  will  pray  for  my 
future  welfare. 

This  hope  was  fully  realized,  for  to  the  end  of  his  life 
his  visits  to  Walton  were  heartily  welcomed  by  all  who 
could  remember  the  time  when  the  young  deacon  began 
his  ministerial  duties  among  them.  In  his  first  Rector,  also, 
and  his  family,  he  found  true  friends  through  life.  Lord 
John  Thynne,  writing  seven  years  later  about  Charles's 
application  for  work  in  London,  says — 

So  far  as  I  know,  and  can  speak  with  certainty  of  any  other 
person,  I  believe  Mr.  C.  F.  Lowder  to  be  a  sound  English  Church- 
man, and  I  have  much  respect  for  him. 

And  as  late  as  June,  i88i,  the  present  Rector  of  Walton- 


PRIEST'S  ORDERS. 


21 


cum-Street,  Mr.  Hickley,  replies  to  an  inquiry  for  any 
traditions  about  his  short  career  there — 

There  is  no  memorial  of  Father  Lovvder's  work  at  Street  or 
Walton.  The  old  people  here  remembered  him  kindly,  and  he 
used  to  visit  them  when  he  came  to  see  us.  I  have  only  heard 
one  saying  respecting  him,  that  he  used  to  say  prayer  in  church  by 
himself  on  the  week-day  :  no  small  thing  for  a  young  curate  forty 
years  ago.    From  that  acorn  grew  St  Peter's,  London  Docks. 

Before  entering  on  his  new  duties,  Charles  received 
priest's  orders  in  Wells  Cathedral  (December  22,  1844), 
Bishop  Denison,  of  Salisbury,  again  acting  for  Bishop  Law. 
During  the  incapacity  of  this  aged  prelate,  his  son,  Chan- 
cellor Law,  was  acting  as  Commissary  and  residing  at 
Wells,  and  it  devolved  upon  him  to  offer  hospitality  to 
the  candidates  for  Holy  Orders  who  came  to  Wells.  .  But 
from  the  circumstance  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lowder  had 
undertaken  the  charge  of  the  Bishop  in  his  infirmity,  the 
Chancellor  had  many  other  opportunities  of  seeing  and 
forming  an  opinion  of  their  son.  He  writes,  some  time 
after,  of  the  "high  promise"  which  Charles  gave  at  the 
time  of  his  ordination,  and  expresses  a  desire  that  he 
might  "  be  placed  in  some  position  where  his  talents  and 
worth  might  be  fully  drawn  out  and  exercised." 

After  his  ordination,  the  young  priest  at  once  entered 
heartily  upon  his  new  duties,  which,  though  only  meant  to 
be  temporary,  were  diligently  discharged.  The  improve- 
ment of  the  workhouse  schools  was  his  special  care.  He 
began  the  practice  of  public  catechising,  useful  to  old  as 
well  as  to  young,  and  in  all  ways  laboured  to  reach  the 
hearts  of  a  class  whose  circumstances  required  much 
patience  and  love. 


22 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


His  resignation  of  the  Axbridge  Chaplaincy  was 
hastened  by  the  death,  in  September,  184S,  of  Bishop  Law, 
which  relieved  Charles's  parents  from  the  charge,  for 
three  years  tenderly  and  assiduously  fulfilled,  of  tending 
his  declining  age  ;  and  although  Chancellor  Law  was  most 
anxious  that  the  family  should  settle  near  him,  yet  it  was 
judged  more  desirable  that  the  eldest  son  should  now  be 
allowed  to  accomplish  his  wish  of  making  a  home  for  them 
himself. 

The  Rev.  John  Frampton,  Vicar  of  Tetbury,  in  the 
diocese  of  Gloucester,  was  just  then  in  want  of  a  Senior 
Curate.  Charles  Lowder  accepted  this  curacy,  and  the  old 
Vicarage  House  became  for  the  next  five  years  the  happy 
home  of  the  once  more  united  family.  He  went  up  to 
Oxford  to  take  his  M.A.  degree,  at  the  beginning  of  1846, 
and  immediately  afterwards  took  possession  of  his  new 
home. 

Tetbury  is  an  old-fashioned  country  town,  with  about 
3000  inhabitants,  perched  on  the  tops  of  the  Cotswolds,  in 
Gloucestershire,  bare  and  bleak,  with  stone  walls  separating 
the  fields  instead  of  hedges.  It  has  a  history  dating  back 
to  ancient  British  times,  and  the  old  names  are  still  attached 
to  certain  divisions  of  the  town.  The  church  (St.  Mary's), 
just  opposite  the  Vicarage  windows,  is  a  large  lantern-like 
building,  with  the  old  tower  and  graceful  spire  of  its  pre- 
decessor remaining. 

In  a  letter  dated  January  16,  1846,  the  new  curate 
writes — 

I  slept  in  my  own  house  for  the  first  time  yesterday,  which 
is  an  era  in  one's  life,  and  to-day  I  managed  a  little  visiting  of  the 
sick,  so  I  shaU  get  my  hand  in  by  degrees. 


PARISH  WORK. 


23 


He  did  indeed  "  get  his  hand  well  in,"  not  only  in  visit- 
ing the  sick — a  duty  ever  most  conscientiously  and  tenderly 
fulfilled — but  in  all  parts  of  the  priestly  office.  Young  and 
old,  rich  and  poor,  felt  his  influence,  and  were  stirred  by  his 
zeal.  His  visits  to  the  schools  were  regular  and  his  teach- 
ing systematic,  and  both  teachers  and  scholars  welcomed 
him  with  pleasure.  He  took  great  pains  in  preparing  the 
young  for  Confirmation  and  Holy  Communion,  teaching 
them  both  in  classes  and  by  individual  intercourse.  Many 
were  brought  to  the  Sacraments  who,  from  ignorance  or 
scruples,  had  been  deterred.  In  one  instance  the  family  of 
a  leading  tradesman  were  all  admitted  to  Baptism  at  the 
same  time,  through  his  teaching  and  influence.  In  the 
public  services  one  improvement  followed  another ;  and 
when  a  beautiful  little  chapel-of-ease  (St.  Saviour's)  was  built 
by  the  Vicar,  in  1848,  daily  matins  and  evensong  were 
introduced. 

For  several  years  the  Senior  Curate  had  as  his  coadjutor 
an  earnest  priest,  the  Rev.  T.  L.  Williams,  now  Rector  of 
Porthleven  in  Cornwall,  who  was  like-minded  with  himself 
in  desiring  to  bring  Church  teaching  and  practice  more  and 
more  fully  before  the  people ;  and  Tetbury  people  still  look 
back  to  this  time  as  one  of  the  brightest  and  most  pro- 
gressive in  their  recollection.  He  drew  up  for  their  use  a 
little  book,  which  has  been  found  useful  elsewhere.  "  The 
Penitent's  Path"  was  intended  to  supersede  a  favourite 
manual  much  in  use,  but  whose  teaching  was  the  reverse  of 
orthodox.  Accordingly,  this  is  arranged  as  much  as  possible 
on  the  same  plan,  while  conveying  sound  Church  teaching 

Amongst  those  who,  besides  parishioners,  look  bacK 
with  pleasure  and  thankfulness  to  those  Tetbury  days,  may 


24 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


be  mentioned  his  sister's  pupils,  some  of  whom  he  prepared 
for  Confirmation.  Others,  too  young  at  that  time  to  be 
thus  specially  brought  under  his  spiritual  influence,  were 
yet  not  too  young  to  remember  with  gratitude  his  bright, 
cheery  ways  with  them,  nor  his  playful  kindness. 

I  remember  so  clearly  about  Tetbury  (writes  one  of  these), 
and  the  first  time  I  saw  that  beautiful,  noble,  kind  face.  He 
was  not  only  a  perfect  saint  in  his  life,  but  he  was  so  good  to 
little  children,  and  full  of  kind  playfulness  towards  them.  I 
remember  how  he  used  to  amuse  Carrie  and  me  in  that  old 
orchard ;  and  all  the  time  he  was  leading  a  life  of  holiness  quite 
different  to  other  men. 

His  love  of  children  was  a  characteristic  feature  all  his 
life.  As  a  lad  at  school,  he  used  to  print  letters  in  large 
type,  that  his  little  brother  might  have  the  pleasure  of 
reading  them  himself,  and  entered  into  all  his  childish 
interests.  Even  babes  were  quiet  and  happy  in  his  arms, 
and  at  the  infant  schools  the  little  ones  flocked  round 
him  while  he  played  with  them.  In  the  school  treats 
and  excursions  he  was  ever  the  ruling  spirit,  full  of  joyous 
life  himself,  and  shedding  brightness  on  all  around.  "  God 
made  flowers  and  children,"  he  would  say,  "  to  make  the 
world  beautiful ;  "  and  his  love  for  both  never  cooled.  To 
the  last  he  had  a  child's  love  for  gathering  flowers,  but  then 
it  was  to  send  them  to  those  who  had  seldom  a  chance  of 
seeing  them  grow  in  the  fields. 

No  wonder  that  children  were  devoted  to  such  a  friend, 
and  that  the  most  pathetic  incident  in  that  last  sad,  wonder- 
ful scene  was  the  grief  of  the  little  children  who  helped 
to  swell  the  sobbing  multitude  lining  the  streets  of  St. 
Peter's  parish  on  the  funeral  day. 


OFFER  OF  PORT  NATAL. 


25 


Some  time  after  the  family  had  been  fairly  settled  at 
Tetbury,  each  member  having  taken  up  work  in  the  parish 
as  well  as  at  home,  the  expected  answer  arrived  from  the 
Bishop  of  New  Zealand.  Circumstances  had  quite  changed 
since  the  application  was  first  made,  and  even  if  this  had 
not  been  the  case,  the  Bishop's  answer  as  to  financial  pro- 
spects (an  important  matter  where  so  many  were  concerned) 
was  so  discouraging,  that  no  room  was  left  for  regret  that  a 
settled  home  had  meanwhile  been  provided  in  England. 
Bishop  Selwyn  cordially  thanked  his  correspondent  for 
his  offer  of  help  in  that  far-off  diocese,  but  he  felt  himself 
in  duty  bound  frankly  to  set  forth  the  very  uncertain  con- 
dition of  his  own  financial  position,  "  being  by  no  means 
sure,"  he  writes,  "that  I  may  not  be  obliged  to  betake 
myself  to  the  plough  for  the  maintenance  of  myself  and 
my  family." 

Charles  plainly  saw  that  this  particular  scheme  could 
not  be  carried  out,  but  his  missionary  zeal  was  by  no  means 
abated  ;  and  when,  in  the  following  year,  an  offer  was  made 
to  him  by  the  Bishop  of  Cape  Town  to  take  the  charge  of 
Port  Natal — "  a  most  spiritually  destitute  place,  but  a  most 
promising  opening  for  missionary  labours" — he  felt  it  neces- 
sary to  consult  a  friend,  who  knew  his  circumstances  and 
who  also  knew  by  experience  what  mission  work  is,  before 
he  could  make  up  his  mind  to  decline  the  offer. 

If  (he  says)  my  parents  were  in  prosperity,  and  consented 
to  my  going,  I  should  feel  at  liberty  to  do  so ;  but  I  fear  very 
much  lest  my  own  feelings  on  the  subject  should  lead  me  to  forget 
positive  duties  at  home,  and  it  is  therefore  that  I  so  much  desire 
the  counsel  of  one  who  can  look  calmly  upon  it.  You  know  that 
I  have  long  felt  a  great  desire  for  missionary  employment,  and 


26 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


this,  instead  of  diminishing,  has  become  stronger  and  stronger : 
and  I  have  always  hoped  and  prayed  that  if  it  were  right  for  me 
to  undertake  it,  it  would  be  providentially  pointed  out,  and  the 
feeling  has  grown  upon  me  that  it  would  be.  The  present  offer 
was  made  quite  without  my  seeking  it,  as  I  had  no  idea  that 
Merriman  would  mention  me  to  the  Bishop,  and  therefore  I  the 
rather  desire  to  be  taught  if  this  must  be  considered  as  a  call. 

As  before,  he  yielded  up  his  inclinations  to  the  judg- 
ment of  those  whom  he  considered  better  able  than  himself 
to  decide,  and  the  post  w^as  declined.  Looking  back  over 
the  history  of  the  then  infant  colony,  we  can  see  how  much 
suffering  he  was  spared  in  having  escaped  the  episcopal 
authority  of  Bishop  Colenso. 

The  Bishop  (Monk)  of  Gloucester  at  this  time  offered 
him  the  living  of  St.  James's,  Gloucester,  but  on  inquiring 
he  found  that  the  position  required  a  man  of  means  to 
keep  the  very  excellent  schools  in  an  efficient  manner ; 
and  besides  this  objection,  there  being  no  house  for  the 
Incumbent,  he  felt  obliged  to  decline  it. 

The  great  interest  which  he  took  in  education  led  him 
to  seek,  in  1849,  the  recently  founded  office  of  Government 
Inspector  of  Schools  ;  but  this  he  failed  to  obtain,  in  spite 
of  letters  of  high  recommendation  both  from  his  Bishop 
and  Vicar,  and  he  remained  at  Tetbury  for  two  years  more 
before  the  call  came  which  was  to  lead  him  to  that  wide 
field  of  missionary  work  in  "  the  largest  heathen  city  in  the 
world,  except  in  China,"  to  which  the  rest  of  his  life  was  to 
be  given. 


CHAPTER  III. 


FIRST  LONDON  CURACY. 
1851. 

"Meet  is  it  changes  should  controul 
Our  being, — lest  we  rust  at  ease." 

In  after  years,  giving  some  account  of  his  work,  Charles 
Lewder  wrote  :  * — 

There  are  a  few  personal  matters,  which  the  writer  thinks  it 
well  to  mention  here,  as  they  may  help  to  show  how  the  mis- 
sionary idea  first  grew  in  his  mind.  He  remembers  well,  as 
Curate  of  a  countiy  town  in  Gloucestershire  in  1851,  reading  one 
evening  by  the  fireside  the  account  of  the  farewell  of  the  Incum- 
bent of  St.  Paul's  and  St.  Barnabas',  the  touching  words  which 
he  spoke,  and  the  sad  leave-taking  of  his  much-loving  flock. 
The  whole  history  was  not  to  be  read  carelessly,  or  reflected 
upon  without  many  burning  thoughts.  Those  v/hich  arose  in  his 
mind  were  of  deep  sorrow  for  the  parish  which  had  lost  so  de- 
voted a  priest,  of  prayer  that  his  place  might  be  supplied  by  pne 
who  would  faithfully  carry  on  his  work,  and  of  ardent  longing  that 
if  it  were  God's  will  he  might  be  permitted  to  take  a  part,  how- 
ever humble,  in  aiding  such  an  object. 

He  felt  that,  in  his  own  parish,  he  had  reached  the  end  of  his 
tether;  after  nearly  six  years  of  parochial  labour,  he  could  not 

*  "  Twenty-one  Years  in  St.  George's  Mission." 


23 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


induce  his  Vicar  to  move  further  in  advance,  and  St.  Barnabas 
offered  a  most  inviting  field  for  more  congenial  work.  Here  the 
experiment  of  winning  the  poor  to  the  Catholic  faith  by  careful 
teaching  and  services  was  being  successfully  tried,  and  proved  the 
soundness  of  the  system  which  Mr.  Bennett  originated  in  that 
parish,  and  which,  by  a  remarkable  Providence,  was,  in  spite  of 
all  opposition,  maintained  and  perpetuated. 

There  was  another  who,  at  the  very  time  these  prayers 
for  St.  Barnabas'  filled  Mr.  Lowder's  heart,  was  equally  full 
of  desire  and  prayer  for  help  in  the  same  work  : 

*'  To  each  unknown  his  brother's  prayer." 

It  is  just  thirty  years  ago  (he  writes)  when  I  was  permitted  to 
share  with  Mr.  R,  Liddell  the  honour  of  introducing  Lowder  to 
the  diocese  of  London.  In  March,  185 1,  Mr.  Bennett  had  been 
driven  from  his  post,  as  he  expressed  it,  by  the  Prime  Minister 
who  had  temporal  authority,  by  the  Bishop  who  Jiad  spiritual 
authority,  and  by  the  Times  and  the  mob  who  had  no  authority ; 
and  Mr.  Liddell,  his  successor,  determining  to  live  at  S.  Paul's, 
committed  the  charge  of  St.  Barnabas'  to  me. 

A  few  months'  experience  of  the  difficulties,  not  to  say  dangers, 
of  the  position  convinced  me  that  it  would  not  be  possible  to 
meet  them  without  the  opportunity  (which  Mr.  Liddell's  generosity 
at  once  conceded)  of  choosing  the  men  who  would  co-operate  with 
me  in  the  work. 

To  an  advertisement  which  Mr.  Skinner  accordingly 
put  out,  he  received,  with  many  others,  the  following 
answer : — 

Highbury  Park,  St.  Barnabas'  Day,  1851. 

Reverend  Sir, 

Having  been  away  trom  home,  I  only  saw  your  ad- 
vertisement in  the  Guardian  yesterday,  and  I  take  the  earliest 
opportunity  of  placing  myself  in  communication  with  you. 


LETTER  TO  MR.  SKINNER. 


29 


I  have  been  for  nearly  five  years  and  a  half  the  Senior  Curate 
of  a  country  town  of  more  than  three  thousand  in  population, 
the  chief  pastoral  duties  of  which,  including  preaching,  parochial 
visiting,  the  care  of  souls,  etc.,  have  devolved  upon  myself,  aided 
by  another  Curate,  in  consequence  of  the  weak  health  of  my 
Vicar,  who  is,  however,  resident.  During  that  time  daily  service, 
the  Holy  Communion  twice  a  month  in  the  two  churches,  and 
other  services  have  been  commenced  or  continued.  I  am  par- 
ticularly desirous  of  entering  upon  no  other  sphere  of  duty  where 
at  least  the  same  privileges  are  not  offered  to  the  parish,  and  I 
should  prefer  an  increase.  .  .  . 

My  opinions  are  perhaps  best  expressed,  as  we  must  use  terms 
of  distinction  in  these  days,  by  the  name  of  Anglo-Catholic,  being 
decidedly  those  of  firm  attachment  to  the  Church  of  England, 
with  the  earnest  hope  of  being  an  humble  instrument  in  bringing 
her  Catholic  character  more  closely  home  to  the  hearts  of  her 
members.  ... 

Although  I  have  entered  into  this  detail,  yet  I  must  now  ex- 
plain that  I  am  only  placing  myself  in  communication  with  you, 
without  making  a  formal  application  for  the  curacy  advertised ;  as 
I  should  only  resign  my  present  charge  with  the  hope  of  entering 
upon  a  more  important  and  promising  sphere  of  labour,  and 
should  probably  sacrifice  pecuniary  advantage  in  a  change,  my 
present  stipend  being  much  larger  than  that  of  most  Curates. 

I  should  mention  that  my  present  curacy  is  that  of  Tetbury, 
Gloucestershire ;  my  Vicar's  name,  the  Rev.  J.  Frampton ;  but  as 
I  have  not  given  him  any  notice  of  leaving,  I  should  not  wish  him 
written  to  before  I  had  heard  again  from  you  as  to  the  circum- 
stances of  your  parish,  and  the  probability  of  a  wish  on  your  part 
to  form  an  engagement. 

I  might,  in  that  case,  also  refer  you  to  a  former  Rector, 
the  Rev.  Lord  John  Thynne,  Sub-dean  of  Westminster,  Arch- 
deacons Brymer  of  Bath,  and  Thorpe  of  Bristol,  and  the  Rev. 
J.  H.  Finder,  Principal  of  the  Theological  College,  Wells. 

I  remain,  reverend  sir,  yours  faithfully, 

C.  F.  LOWDER. 


30 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


In  a  letter  to  his  sister,  written  June  19,  he  mentions 
that  he  had  answered  an  advertisement  in  the  Guardian 
(on  St.  Barnabas'  Day),  "not  knowing  that  it  referred  to 
St.  Barnabas',"  and  that  he  received  "  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Skinner,  the  senior  and  responsible  Curate  of  St.  Barnabas'," 
in  reply.  This  letter  was  quickly  followed  by  an  interview, 
as  Mr.  Lowder  was  in  London,  and  it  was  arranged  that 
he  should  take  part  in  the  services  at  St.  Barnabas'  on  the 
following  Sunday. 

I  remember,  as  if  it  were  yesterday  (Mr.  Skinner  writes), 
the  impression  made  upon  me  by  his  striking  (even  then)  almost 
hairless  head  and  radiant  face,  with  the  bloom  upon  it  which 
bespeaks  purity  of  soul.  I  felt  at  once — "  Here  is  the  very  man 
we  want."  The  testimony  of  his  work,  from  that  day  to  this,  is  all 
the  evidence  needed  to  prove  that  the  rapidly  formed  impression 
was  true. 

This  impression  was  confirmed  by  letters  from  several 
friends,  notably  from  Lord  John  Thynne  and  from  Mr. 
Finder,  Principal  of  the  Theological  College  at  Wells,  who 
wrote  of  his  "having  known  Charles  Lowder  from  boyhood," 
and  of  his  belief  that,  "  under  the  guidance  which  he  will 
meet  with,  he  will  prove  a  valuable  helper  in  parochial 
work."  His  letter  ends  with  the  prayer,  which  was  indeed 
answered — 

"  May  it  please  God  to  overrule  your  communication  with  hin-. 
to  the  best  interests  of  our  Church,  and  to  the  usefulness  of  my 
young  friend." 

It  is  impossible  not  to  be  struck,  in  looking  over  the 
letters  written  about  Mr.  Lowder  at  this  time,  by  the  coji- 
fidence  with  which  he  seems  to  have  universally  inspired 


LETTER  FROM  MR.  FINDER. 


31 


those  who  knew  him,  and  which  is  not  common  in  the  case 
of  a  young  man  whose  sympathies  were  all  with  a  school 
antagonistic  to  popular  Protestantism,  and  even  to  safe 
and  easy-going  Churchmanship. 

Archdeacon  Thorpe,  of  Bristol,  writing  to  Mr.  Skinner 
to  "welcome  him  with  best  wishes  and  earnest  prayers 
into  his  new  and  responsible  position,"  mentions  Charles 
Lowder,  and  expresses  his  "  strong  conviction  that  he  is 
very  particularly  suited  to  the  place  proposed  for  him." 
He  adds — 

I  scarcely  know  on  what  grounds  I  can  speak  so  decidedly. 
I  believe  it  is  from  what  I  knew  of  him  before,  and  what  I  have 
heard  of  him  from  many  different  quarters. 

To  Charles  himself  Mr.  Pinder  wrote — 

Southsea,  Hants,  July  4,  1851. 

My  dear  Charles, 

I  concluded  from  the  letter  addressed  to  me  by  Mr. 
Skinner  that  the  situation  would  probably  be  offered  you,  and  it 
gave  me  very  great  pleasure  to  add  my  testimony  in  your  behalf. 
Judging  from  the  opinions  expressed  by  him,  I  cannot  imagine  a 
more  desirable  person  to  act  with  and  under — one  who  would 
not  consider  the  essence  of  religion  to  be  in  a  lighted  candle  or 
a  surplice,  but  one  who,  by  bringing  his  people's  minds  to  the 
reverence  and  love  of  Christ's  Church,  or  Christ  in  His  Church, 
will,  no  doubt,  in  due  time  find  from  them  a  ready  co-operation  in 
all  things  tending  to  order  in  the  service. 

I  greatly  honour  Mr.  Bennett,  but  I  would  have  yielded  the 
point  to  my  Bishop.    I  may  be  wrong. 

Pray  let  me  hear  what  the  plan  of  your  mother  and  sisters  is. 
Knowing  the  intensely  domestic  character  of  your  good  father,  I 
can  easily  understand  how  great  the  trial  of  separation  has  been 
to  him,  and  I  shall  like  to  hear  all  their  plans.    I  would  humbly 


32 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


hope  in  God  (referring  to  the  Exeter  Synod)  that  this  new 
symptom  of  hfe  in  our  Church  will  stay  the  impatient  spirits, 
who  have  been  looking  to  Rome  for  security,  and  make  them 
pause  and  learn  yet  to  love  their  Church  as  she  deserves.  .  .  . 

Believe  me,  ever  yours  very  sincerely, 

John  H.  Finder. 

To  his  mother  Charles  writes — 

London,  St.  John  Baptist's  Day,  1851. 
...  It  was  a  great  comfort  to  me,  while  assisting  in  the 
beautiful  services  of  one  of  the  most  beautiful  churches  in  England, 
to  think  that  I  was  joining  in  prayer  on  my  birthday  with  those 
who,  I  doubt  not,  were  praying  for  me.  I  enjoyed  above  descrip- 
tion the  hearty  and  devotional  character  of  the  services,  and  took 
part  by  singing  the  Litany  in  the  morning,  assisting  at  Holy  Com- 
munion, and  saying  part  of  the  prayers  afternoon  and  evening. 
I  have  now  just  returned  from  preaching  there,  and  I  believe  Mr. 
Skinner  and  myself  are  mutually  satisfied  one  with  the  other.  It 
quite  rests  now  with  the  answer  which  I  shall  make  after  consult- 
ing with  you  and  my  sisters,  whether  I  have  the  privilege  of  joining 
in  the  great  work  which  is  being  carried  on  at  St.  Barnabas'  or  no. 

His  mother's  choice  was  soon  made.  Neither  she  nor 
any  of  hers  could  bear  to  stand  in  the  way  of  the  work 
upon  which  her  son's  heart  was  set.  They  arranged  to 
live  at  Enfield  ;  Charles  became  one  of  the  curates  at 
St.  Barnabas',  and  went  into  residence  at  the  college  on 
September  30,  185 1. 

This  is  not  a  history  of  St.  Barnabas'  Church  and 
College,  yet  it  is  necessary  to  say  a  few  words  as  to  the 
state  of  matters  there  while  Mr.  Lowder  was  on  its  staff, 
since  it  was  the  school  in  which  he  learned  to  use  those 
weapons  which  he  afterwards  wielded  with  signal  success 


RIOTS  AT  ST.  BARNABAS'. 


33 


during  his  long  battle  with  vice,  ignorance,  and  misery  in 
the  east  of  London, 

It  would  be  impossible  to  do  this  with  any  accuracy, 
were  it  not  for  the  kindness  with  which  correspondence  on 
the  subject  has  been  placed  at  the  writer's  disposal,  and 
the  information  supplied  by  those  who  kept  St.  Barnabas', 
through  the  burden  and  heat  of  those  troublous  days,  as  a 
stronghold  of  faith  and  devotion. 

In  1 85 1  (the  then  Senior  Curate  writes)  St.  Barnabas'  was  at 
the  head  of  the  movement.  The  success  of  Mr.  Bennett's  work 
in  Belgravia,  of  which  it  was  the  fruit ;  the  cdat  of  its  consecration 
festival  the  year  before;  the  noveUy  of  its  constitution,  administered 
by  a  college  of  clergy  and  choristers  living  in  community,  with 
multiplied  services  day  by  day;  the  free  and  open  access  to  it 
for  rich  and  poor,  the  beauty  and  symmetry  of  its  structure  and 
furniture,  and  the  perfection  of  its  music,  had  combined  to  make 
it  an  object  of  public  attraction,  in  a  year,  too,  in  whicli  the  first 
"  Great  Exhibition  "  brought  the  world  to  London. 

But  among  those  who  were  drawn  to  it  by  mere  curiosity  and 
love  of  excitement,  there  were  many  who  came  with  avowed 
feelings  of  hatred  and  hostility ;  and  during  the  whole  of  that 
memorable  year  it  was  only  held,  as  a  beleaguered  city  is  held, 
by  armed  men,  against  the  violence  of  enemies  who  battered  at 
the  doors,  shouted  through  the  windows,  hissed  in  the  aisles,  and 
essayed  to  storm  the  chancel  gates. 

It  is  not  without  difficulty,  at  this  present  time  of  writing, 
that  I  bring  myself  to  believe  that  such  experience  of  the  Puritan 
furor  as  fell  to  my  lot  in  185 1  could  really  be  possible. 

The  moment  of  the  papal  aggression  was  the  lucky  occasion 
for  whicli  some  had  been  anxiously  seeking  to  make  a  deadly 
onslaught  upon  the  restored  propriety  of  our  English  public 
worship.  The  butler  of  the  Irvingite  Apostle,  Mr.  Henry 
Drummond,  was  the  ringleader  of  the  malcontents.    And  Lord 

D 


34 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


Sliaftesbury  unhappily  contributed  to  the  fray  by  announcing,  at 
an  excited  public  meeting  in  the  parish,  that  he  would  prefer 
worshipping  "with  Lydia  by  the  banks  of  the  river  side"  to 
joining  in  such  services  as  ours,  while  another  leader  made  pious 
declaration  of  his  conviction  that  our  church  had  mistaken  its 
patron  saint  in  choosing  the  Apostle  Barnabas  rather  than  the 
robber  Barabbas,  to  whom  we  more  properly  belonged. 

No  doubt  the  disturbance  had  reached  its  climax  on  Sundays, 
November  lo,  17,  24,  1850,  when  the  poor  and  the  timid  were 
actually  driven  by  bodily  terror  from  worshipping  at  St.  Barnabas' 
altogether,  and  the  religious  people  of  the  district  were  so  hom- 
fied  by  the  blasphemous  cries  of  the  mob,  that  they  were  fain  to 
keep  within  their  houses. 

But  in  185 1,  when  Mr.  Bennett  had  already  been  sacrificed  and 
cast  out,  as  a  "  sop  to  Cerberus,"  the  spirit  of  unreasoning  Puri- 
tanism was  as  unsatisfied  as  ever ;  and  the  excited  passions  of  the 
multitude  continued  to  be  employed  by  interested  people,  all 
through  the  spring  and  summer  of  that  year,  to  make  our  position 
as  dangerous  and  difficult  as  it  could  be  made.  It  was  only  by 
keeping  a  large  body  of  gentlemen — regular  members  of  our  flock 
— on  the  roll  of  sworn  special  constables,  that  we  were  enabled 
to  preserve  order  during  divine  service ;  and  Sunday  after  Sunday 
we  had  to  post  some  chosen  ones  by  the  chancel  gates,  to  prevent 
the  ringleaders  from  breaking  into  the  sanctuary. 

The  notion  of  any  place  in  the  church  being  reserved  as 
specially  sacred,  much  more  of  being  barred  off,  for  the  special 
accommodation  of  the  clergy  and  other  ministers,  was  abhorrent  to 
the  general  mind  of  those  unruly  people.  It  was  a  strange  thing 
to  see  how  the  spirit  of  disorder  seized  upon  many  persons, 
apparently  good  and  earnest  in  their  way,  and  forced  them  into 
the  ranks  of  the  rioters,  as  if  only  for  disorder's  sake ;  even 
clergymen  were  often  amongst  the  most  troublesome.  The  most 
difficult  thing  was  to  persuade  people  to  sit  down  when  their 
appointed  seats  were  shown  to  them.  Some  loudly  protested 
against  dividing  the  sexes ;  others  claimed  a  right  to  perambulate 


MALCONTENTS. 


35 


the  church,  to  examine  the  painted  windows,  and  criticize  the 
Latin  legends  which  enriched  the  walls. 

On  one  occasion  a  respectable  Irish  clergyman  sought  me 
out  in  the  vestry,  and,  in  great  anger,  appealed  to  me  against  one 
of  the  vergers,  who,  he  said,  had  insulted  him  by  imputing  to  him 
"  ignorance  of  the  Greek  alphabet."  I  begged  him  to  tell  me  how 
the  Greek  alphabet  had  anything  to  do  with  his  refusal  to  be 
seated  during  divine  service,  which  was  the  verger's  complaint 
against  him. 

"Well,  sir,"  he  answered,  "it  was  just  this  way :  Being  in  London 
for  the  Exhibition,  I  came  to  see  St.  Barnabas';  and  if  I  had  taken 
a  seat,  I  wouldn't  have  seen  it  a  bit;  so  I  just  wanted  to  walk 
round,  through  the  crowd,  and  examine  it  at  my  ease.  This 
man  here  kept  harrying  me  about  taking  a  seat;  and  then  I 
said  to  him  plainly,  '  Are  you  not  ashamed  of  yourselves  to  be 
worshipping  the  Virgin  Mary  here?  For  there,'  said  I  (pointing 
to  the  keystone  of  the  chancel  arch) — '  aren't  they  the  very  letters, 
V.  M.  ? '  '  No,'  said  he,  *  we  are  ashamed  of  nothing  here ;  but  it's 
you,  and  the  like  of  you,  that  should  be  ashamed,  not  to  know 
the  first  and  last  letters  of  the  Greek  alphabet  when  you  see 
them.'  Now,  sir,  I  appeal  to  you,  was  that  a  right  and  respectful 
thing  for  a  menial  to  say  to  a  Protestant  clergyman  like  myself  ?  " 

I  acknowledged  that  it  was  not  very  respectful ;  but  begged 
him  to  consider  that  it  was  true  that  the  letters  in  question  were 
not  V.  M.,  but  A  and  O,  .and  also  that  it  was  true  that  during 
divine  service  a  church  is  for  worship,  not  for  idle  curiosity ; 
and  that  had  he  taken  a  seat  when  asked  to  do  so,  the  imputed 
insult  would  never  have  happened.  We  thereupon  shook  hands, 
expressed  forgiveness  all  round,  and  the  Irish  clergjanan  departed. 

On  another  occasion,  a  man  came  into  the  vestry  when  I  was 
just  beginning  the  choir  prayers,  in  a  state  of  frenzy,  demanding 
why  he  should  be  asked  to  sit  apart  from  his  wife,  "  contrary,"  he 
declared,  "  to  the  laws  of  God  and  man  and  all  decency."  I  tried 
to  explain  that  the  church  was  built  free  for  all  to  enter  it  who 
willed  to  worship  in  it ;  but  that,  of  course,  now,  and  in  London 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


especially,  we  could  give  no  possible  security  that  all  who  are  free 
to  enter  are  fit  to  enter,  and  therefore  that  a  division  of  the 
sexes,  as  far  as  it  goes,  was  some  protection  to  women,  and,  at  any 
rate,  it  was  all  that  we  could  afford.  I  omitted  some  older  and 
better  reasons  for  this  separation ;  but,  for  the  respect  due  to  his 
wife,  what  I  had  said  might  suffice.  The  man  went  away  pacified 
and  reconciled. 

By  this  time,  1854,  with  the  exception  of  the  troubles  arising 
from  Mr.  Westerton's  ambition  to  be  the  Protestant  champion 
of  England  as  churchwarden  of  St.  Paul's,  and  the  persistently 
aggressive  theology  of  a  certain  colonel  of  militia,  who  assumed 
to  influence  Bishop  Blomfield,  and  to  claim  for  the  Church  of 
England  the  simplicity  of  but  0}ie  Sacrament,  we  were  able  to 
carry  on  our  work  in  comparative  peace. 

But,  it  will  be  asked,  what  was  the  ritual  which  roused  such  a 
storm  and  provoked  such  outrage  at  St.  Barnabas'  ? 

It  had  reached  the  stage  of  daily  choral  worship,  and  the 
simplest  rule  of  reverence  and  order  in  carrying  out  its  details. 

Bishop  Blomfield  had  stopped  in  great  measure  the  choral 
worship  at  St.  Paul's,  and  he  had  ordered  it  to  be  stopped  at  St. 
Barnabas'.  I  honestly  tried  to  obey  him,  but  my  first  attempt  at 
"  saying  "  instead  of  "  singing  "  the  versicles  was  received  by  the 
congregation  with  so  loud  and  determined  a  burst  of  song  iit 
the  responses,  that  I  felt  obliged  to  go  to  the  Bishop,  and  to  tell 
him  plainly  that,  if  choral  service  was  to  be  discontinued  at 
St.  Barnabas',  I  must  decline  to  have  any  responsibility  for  keeping 
order  there.  The  people  were  defermmed  to  assert  and  use  the 
liberty  given  in  the  Prayer-book.  I  told  him  so  distinctly,  and 
the  Bishop  did  not  persevere. 

The  points  of  ritual  to  which  we  had  attained,  and  which 
roused  such  fury  against  us,  were  very  simple  : — 

1.  Procession  of  clergy  and  choristers  from  and  to  the  vestry. 

2.  Obeisance  towards  the  altar  on  entering  and  retiring  from 
the  sanctuary. 

3.  The  eastward  position. 


BISHOP  BLOMFIELD. 


37 


4.  Coloured  coverings  proper  for  the  season  on  the  altar. 

We  had  been  compelled  to  yield  one  or  two  points  upon 
which  Mr.  Bennett  had  insisted,  e.g.  the  invocation  of  the  Blessed 
Trinity  with  the  sign  of  the  cross  before  the  sermon,  and  the 
position  eastward  of  Epistoler  and  Gospeller ;  also  to  adopt  the 
black  gown  in  the  pulpit — for  which,  indeed,  the  Bishop  was  not 
responsible — and  to  say  the  daily  prayers  in  the  midst  of  the 
people,  outside  the  chancel. 

But  Bishop  Blomfield  never  treated  these  matters  from  a  legal 
or  canonical  standpoint ;  he  simply  enforced  his  arbitrary  will, 
which  was,  no  doubt,  influenced  by  his  well-known  terror  of  a 
London  mob.  When  he  was  entreated  to  reconsider  his  order  to 
say  the  prayers  outside  the  chancel,  and  it  was  pointed  out  to  him 
that  the  priest  was  less  well  both  seen  and  heard  there,  than  on 
the  higher  platform  inside,  he  replied,  "  But  those  poppy-heads 
are  in  the  way."  I  had  the  poppy-heads  sawn  off  instantly,  and  so 
got  back  to  my  stall.  When  he  was  respectfully  called  upon  to 
prescribe  the  collect,  for  which  there  is  no  rubrical  authority, 
which  he  ordered  to  be  used  in  the  pulpit  before  the  sermon,  and 
asked  to  appoint  the  particular  side  of  the  polygonal  pulpit  at 
which  it  should  be  said,  he  answered,  "I  have  no  power  to  do 
either  of  these  things,  but  if  you  don't  say  a  collect,  and  don't  say 
it  to  the  west,  I  will  withdraw  your  licence."  When  asked  to 
give  an  example  of  our  "excessive  Ritualism,"  he  instanced  our 
communicating  the  choristers  before  the  people. 

He  allowed  the  procession  of  clergy  into  choir,  for  the  daily 
office,  as  a  right  thing;  he  forbade  their  proceeding  to  the 
celebration,  with  the  vessels  in  their  hands,  as  intolerable.  The 
clergy  might  bow  to  the  altar — indeed,  "it  would,"  he  said,  *'be 
well  for  them  to  set  an  example,  in  this  respect,  to  their  con- 
gregations," whom  he  thought  "far  too  inobservant  of  outward 
expressions  of  reverence ; "  but  they  might  not  bow  in  reciting  the 
"Gloria  Patri." 

The  question  of  the  metal  cross  upon  the  re-table  over  the 
altar  was  treated  with  singular  violence.     The  Bishop  ordered 


38 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


the  churchwardens  to  remove  it :  only  one  would  obey  him. 
The  other,  refusing  to  allow  the  legality  of  the  removal,  instantly 
replaced  what  his  colleague  had  taken  down.  This  unseemly 
struggle  between  the  churchwardens  went  on  till,  at  the  suggestion 
of  a  distinguished  counsel,  the  cross  was  nailed  to  the  table,  on  the 
supposition  that  its  legality  depended  on  its  fixture ;  the  Bishop 
meanwhile  declaring,  "  If  it  costs  me  my  see,  I  will  have  that 
cross  removed."  The  subsequent  litigation  proved  how^wrong, 
as  to  law,  everybody  was,  including  the  Bishop,  and  that  the  cross, 
in  its  original  position,  was  as  secure  as  it  remains  to-day. 

I  mention  these  details,  and  record  the  episcopal  policy  of 
the  time,  in  order  to  show  the  position  under  which  Charles 
Lowder  began  his  apprenticeship  to  "  Ritualism;"  and  to  indicate 
the  whole  amount  of  it  in  its  most  advanced  stronghold,  when  the 
persecution  which  we  endured  was  such  that,  for  a  time  at  least, 
the  church  and  its  ministers  were  in  daily  danger  from  the  mob. 

Since  1851  there  have  been  all  sorts  of  decisions  by  the 
Ecclesiastical  Courts  and  the  Committee  of  Privy  Council  upon 
ritual  questions,  many  of  them  clean  contradictory  one  of  the 
other,  but  all  of  them  more  or  less  elaborately  argued.  We  have 
had,  moreover,  the  Public  Worship  Regulation  Act,  framed  ex- 
pressly to  "  put  the  Ritualists  down."  The  danger  is  no  longer  to 
life,  but  to  liberty.  Men  are  not  threatened  now  with  personal 
violence  by  an  infuriated  people ;  they  are  only  sent  to  prison  in 
cold  blood  by  three  "aggrieved  parishioners."  Liberty  of  law  is 
made  to  yield  to  the  tyranny  of  judgments.  But  the  principles 
which  triumphed  over  Lord  John  Russell's  "No  Popery"  mob  at 
St.  Barnabas',  and  Publican  Thompson's  rabble  at  St.  George's-in- 
the-East,  are  more  deeply  set  and  more  widely  prevalent  than 
ever.  The  degrees  of  ritual  practice  vary  according  to  the  cir- 
cumstances of  each  parish  in  which  it  is  used ;  but  there  are  few 
churches  (not  absolutely  belonging  to  the  Low  Church  school)  in 
which  the  measure  of  ritual,  now,  falls  behind  the  St.  Barnabas' 
of  1851. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


THE  BATTLE  AT  ST.  BARNABAS'. 

1852-1857. 

"  The  strength  of  resolute  undivided  souls 
Who,  owning  law,  obey  it." 

It  is  certainly  not  without  interest  and  instruction,  as  bear- 
ing on  our  own  time,  to  recall  the  history  of  an  "  advanced  " 
Church  thirty  years  ago,  and  to  remember  that  there  was 
nothing  in  its  ritual  or  arrangements  which  is  not  carried 
out  now,  without  comment  or  objection,  in  the  most 
"moderate"  English  Churches,  and  even  amidst  the  Puri- 
tanism prevailing  in  Ireland. 

In  order  luUy  to  understand  the  difficult  position  in 
which  Charles  Lowder  learned  the  lessons  which  he  after- 
wards nobly  put  in  practice,  it  is  also  necessary  to  say 
that  there  were  other  obstacles,  besides  Bishop  Blomfield's 
policy,  through  which  the  clergy  of  St.  Barnabas'  had  to 
fight  their  way.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  in  these,  as 
in  other  things,  the  future  missioner  in  East  London  was 
■  gaining,  by  experience,  some  of  the  wisdom  which  made 
him  set  great  store  upon  those  principles  of  internal  dis- 
cipline which  cemented  the  work  of  the  clergy  engaged 
with  him  into  the  unity  of  one  mind. 

The  church  and  college  were  in  a  difficult  and  anoma- 


40 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


loLis  position  ;  not  independent  as  now,  but  legally  a  chapel- 
of-ease  to  St.  Paul's,  Knightsbridge,  served  by  curates,  under 
its  Incumbent,  while  its  whole  constitution  and  raison  d' etre 
tended  to  force  the  clergy  who  ministered  there  into  an 
independent  course  of  action. 

This  was  not,  perhaps,  lessened  by  the  difference  in 
character  of  the  two  noble-hearted  men  on  whose  leadership 
matters  chiefly  depended  : — the  one  gentle,  in  every  sense 
of  the  word,  and  generous  to  the  core,  with  a  keen  prevision 
of  the  disastrous  consequences  which  imprudence  might 
bring,  and  a  not  unnatural  dislil<e  to  being  dragged  through 
the  dirt  by  imprudences,  or  what  he  deemed  such,  of  those 
for  whose  acts  he  was  responsible  ;  the  other  absolutely  fear- 
less, unless  he  may  have  been  said  to  fear  cowardice  and 
its  consequences,  referring  everything  to  certain  fixed  prin- 
ciples, and  possessing,  with  warm  sympathies  and  affection, 
an  unbending  will  in  maintaining  the  legitimate  issue  of 
those  principles. 

Both,  remaining  true  and  loving  friends  to  the  last, 
have  been  spared  to  see  the  happy  results  of  their  work  ; 
but  while  desire  for  the  glory  of  God  and  salvation  of 
souls  ruled  in  both  hearts,  there  were  evidently  secondary 
considerations,  different  in  each,  which  influenced  their 
respective  lines  of  action.  Loyalty  to  the  Bishop  who  had 
greatly  trusted  him,  and  committed  a  difficult  post  to  his 
keeping  at  a  critical  moment,  governed  Mr.  Liddell's  course  ; 
while  the  Senior  Curate  of  St.  Barnabas'  was  chiefly  led  by 
loyalty  to  the  congregation  who,  deprived  of  Mr.  Bennett's 
leadership,  turned  to  him,  and  demanded  from  him  that  he 
should  guard  that  liberty  in  worship  and  devotion  which 
they  were  determined  not  to  yield. 


LA  W  AND  LIBERTY. 


41 


It  was  indeed  well  for  those  liberties,  not  only  at  St. 
Barnabas',  but  throughout  the  whole  Church,  that  in  the 
beginning  of  the  battle  which  still  lasts,  the  stronghold 
most  hotly  attacked  was  held  by  one  able  to  perceive  that 
the  struggle  was  not  for  this  or  that  detail,  but  for  a  prin- 
ciple at  stake — that  the  question  was  whether  lawful  liberty 
or  tyrannical  coercion  should  prevail.  He  and  his  fellow- 
workers  also  knew  that  to  give  up  a  multitude  of  small 
things,  each  one  of  which  might  in  itself  be  called  trivial, 
was  to  give  up  something  considerable,  which  would  per- 
manently lower  the  whole  standard  of  teaching  and  of 
worship  which  they  had  found  established,  and  which  they 
felt  it  right,  if  possible,  to  maintain.  For  indeed  that  out- 
ward order  was  but  the  outcome  of  the  people's  devotion. 
They  were  wise  enough  to  remember  that  their  congrega- 
tion, being  composed  of  men  and  women  with  faults  and 
weaknesses,  were  not  angels,  or  even  wholly  saints ;  and 
that  if  everything  outward,  which  either  gave  expression  to 
devotion  or  nourished  it,  were  given  up,  grave  consequences 
would  quickly  follow.  Souls  would  not  only  be  chilled 
and  repressed,  but  the  poor  and  ignorant,  on  whom  warm 
energies  were  expended,  would  fall  away. 

It  was  for  their  sake  that  by  entreaty,  argument,  and  per- 
suasion, the  Senior  Curate  struggled  against  the  Incumbent's 
original  desire  to  assimilate  the  services  at  St.  Barnabas'  as 
closely  as  possible  to  those  at  St.  Paul's,  a  policy  which 
would  have  obscured  the  whole  principle  of  freedom  in 
details,  and  made  the  young  and  vigorous  daughter  a 
source  of  weakness,  instead  of  strength,  to  the  mother 
church. 

Knowing  the  practice  which  now  prevails  in  the  latter, 


42 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


it  is  certainly  curious  and  instructive  to  find  such  prohi- 
bitions issued  to  the  Curate  of  St.  Barnabas'  as,  e.g.,  on 
March  9,  1852  :— 

Let  no  flowers  be  placed  on  any  occasion  on  the  altar. 
Let  the  celebrant  stand,  at  \\\&  commencement  o{'Ci\Q,(Zox^im\xa\.o\\ 
Service,  at  the  north  side  of  the  table. 

Let  the  Commandments  be  read  distinctly,  not  chanted. 

And  so  on,  through  twelve  injunctions,  the  fulfilment  of 
which  would  greatly  astonish  the  present  congregation  of 
St.  Paul's. 

The  position  of  affairs  would  have  been  still  more 
difficult,  had  it  not  been  for  the  personal  kindness  and 
generosity  of  Mr.  Liddell,  and  the  warm  affection  and 
gratitude  which  he  always  expressed  for  the  Curate  of 
St.  Barnabas',  even  while  feeling  that  he  was  responsible  for 
that  church  as  much  as  for  St.  Paul's,  and  that  he  was 
placed  in  a  false  position  by  seeming  to  maintain  that  of 
which  his  own  judgment  disapproved. 

At  this  distance  of  time  there  will  be  no  breach  of 
confidence  in  giving  the  following  letters,  while  the  judg- 
ment of  so  distinguished  a  layman  as  the  late  Baron 
Alderson  on  the  question  at  issue  is  interesting  and 
valuable. 

St.  Barnabas'  Parsonage,  Pimlico,  July  4,  1854. 
Dear  Sir  Edward  Alderson, 

Though  a  stranger  to  you  personally,  I  feel  a  sure 
hope  that  you  will  allow  me  to  consult  you  in  the  present  emer- 
gency; for  indeed  it  is  an  emergency  of  great  gravity  to  the 
Church  in  this  parish  and  throughout  England.  I  beg  to  be 
allowed  to  say  that  I  presume  to  write  to  you  only  because  I 
know  how  steadfastly  your  heart  is  bound  up  in  the  English 


LETTER  TO  BARON  ALDERSON. 


43 


Church,  and  because  I  have  the  highest  confidence  in  your  learn- 
ing and  judgment. 

The  Incumbent  of  the  parish  (in  which  this  church  is  a 
chapelry),  with,  I  am  sure,  the  most  loving  sincerity,  has  seen  fit 
to  yield  up  to  the  Bishop  that  liberty  to  adjust  the  internal  affairs 
of  his  own  church  which  the  law  allows  him.  He  thinks  he  has 
only  yielded  certain  specific  points ;  and  this,  for  the  present,  may 
be  so :  but  I  fear  that  what  he  has  yielded  is  the  principle  of 
freedom  within  the  Church's  law,  and  I  cannot  but  apprehend 
the  very  worst  consequences  from  a  sacrifice  of  which  the  Bishop 
of  London  will  be  too  ready  to  avail  himself,  for  carrying  out  his 
own  private  wishes  and  opinions. 

As  yet,  the  church  of  St.  Paul's  is  the  only  one  involved ; 
but  is  it  possible  for  the  Incumbent  to  retain  a  position  in  one  of 
his  churches  which  he  has  yielded  in  the  other  ? 

The  Bishop  has  threatened  us  with  a  visitation.  How  is  he 
to  be  met  ? 

I  have  begged  Mr.  Liddell  to  decide  whether  he  is  to  be  met 
on  the  ground  that  changes  may  be  made  here  simply  because 
he  (the  Bishop)  wills  it,  or  on  the  ground  that  no  changes  shall 
be  made  from  an  existing  state  of  things  which  is  edifying 
to  the  people  and  lawful  in  the  Church.  He  has  made  no  de- 
cision ;  I  fear  he  is  already  committed  to  the  former  side  of  the 
remative. 

The  body  of  clergy  licensed  here,  for  the  work  of  this  church 
and  district,  have  resolved  to  be  the  instruments  of  no  change 
ivhatever,  and  to  take  their  stand  upon  the  ground  that  their 
people's  spiritual  interests  ought  not  to  be  sacrificed  by  them ;  that 
if  our  worship  here  be  indeed  imlawful  in  the  English  Church,  the 
sooner  it  is  put  do\vn  the  better ;  that  if  otherwise,  they  can  be  no 
parties  to  such  an  act  of  tyranny  and  oppression. 

Is  this  a  course  which  we  may  take,  and  still  act  with  loyalty 
and  fidelity  to  the  English  Church?  If  the  Bishop  holds  a 
visitation,  may  we  request  that  it  be  by  a  solemn  and  formal  court, 
and  that  we  ourselves  may  be  heard  by  counsel  1 


44 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


There  is  another  side  of  the  case  which,  if  you  will  allow  me, 
I  would  present  to  you.  The  necessary  disadvantages  which 
belong  to  this  church  and  "college,"  from  its  present  consti- 
tution, are  very  serious ;  the  Incumbent  being,  practically,  non- 
resident. I  enclose  a  case  for  reference,  which  will  show  you 
what  I  mean ;  and  from  which  I  doubt  not  you  will  gather  that 
the  perils  from  within,  to  a  work  like  this,  are  at  least  not  less 
grave  than  the  perils  from  without. 

The  Incumbent  is  strongly  impressed  with  his  own  inability 
to  do  justice  to  the  two  works  (as  I  may  now  call  them)  of 
St.  Paul's  and  St.  Barnabas';  and  he  feels  that  if  the  two  could 
be  separated,  neither  would  interfere  with  the  prosperity  of  the 
other.  This,  I  may  add,  is,  under  present  circumstances,  the 
opinion  also  of  Mr.  Bennett,  and  of  others  who  are  anxious  to  see 
some  way  of  saving  our  work  here.  But  the  possibilities  of  this 
depend  upon  questions  of  law  with  which  I  am  not  acquainted. 
Would  you  kindly  consider  them  ? 

I  would  only  say,  in  conclusion,  that  I  have  no  personal 
motives  whatever  in  submitting  these  matters  to  you.  I  cannot, 
of  course,  disclaim  the  most  keen  and  loving  interest  in  this 
church  and  district,  but  I  do  not  seek  for  anything  for  myself;  I 
am  anxious  only  for  the  stability  of  a  work  which  is  looked  up  to 
from  all  corners  of  England,  and  for  the  strength  and  glory  of  our 
own  beloved  Church. 

Believe  me,  dear  Sir  Edward  Alderson, 
With  the  deepest  respect. 

Your  most  faithful  servant  in  Christ, 

James  Skinner. 

9,  Park  Crescent,  July,  6,  1854. 

Mv  DEAR  Sir, 

I  sympathize  with  you  in  your  difficult  position,  which 
seems  to  me  to  require  a  mixture  of  firmness  with  prudence  rarely 
found  together,  but  which,  I  hope,  will  not  be  wanting  in  your 
case.  .  .  . 

From  my  knowledge  derived  from  an  intimacy  at  school  anil 


BARON  ALDERSON'S  REILY. 


45 


College,*  I  begged  him  f  not  to  yield  to  the  Bishoi^,  but  to 
take  his  stand  on  the  ecclesiastical  law  —  tlie  best  for  Mr. 

Liddell,  and  for  the  Bishop  also.  The  Bishop  .  .  . 

.  .  .  will  give  up  much  protection  by  quitting  the  shelter  of 
the  law.  It  is  an  easy  answer  to  complainers,  "  the  law  allows 
it." 

But  Mr.  Liddell  has  the  right  of  altering  St.  Barnabas'  as  well 
as  St.  Paul's,  and  I  don't  see  how  you  can  prevent  him.  Yet 
I  deprecate  your  all  refusing  to  act  if  he  does  so.  Your  re- 
maining may  prevent  much  evil,  and  I  don't  see,  if  it  be  known, 
as  it  must  be,  that  you  disapprove,  why  you  should  not  remain  to 
do  as  much  good  as  you  can.  .  .  . 

I  deprecate  your  resolution  against  all  change,  though  I  believe 
it  would  be  wisest  to  make  none.  Nothing  seems  to  me  to  be 
more  unadvisable  than,  at  this  time,  to-separate  St.  Barnabas'  and 
St.  Paul's. 

You  will  have,  in  the  present  state  of  things,  no  security  for 
a  proper  appointment.  I  don't  think  Mr.  Bennett's  prudence  so 
great  as  his  zeal  in  advising  it. 

I  am  at  a  loss  to  know  what  the  Bishop  means  by  a  special 
visitation.  Pie  will  have  enough  to  do  if  he  undertakes  such 
matters  throughout  his  diocese.  If  he  does,  I  should  certainly 
put  him,  as  far  as  the  law  will  allow,  at  arm's  length,  and  appear 
by  advocate  at  it ;  but  I  don't  believe  that  it  will  happen. 

In  the  mean  while  I  advise  you  in  patience  to  possess  your 
souls.    Sail  with  as  little  sail  as  you  can  conscientiously;  the 

*  Bishop  Blomfield  was  born  in  17S6,  and  Baron  Alderson  in  1787  ;  they 
were  at  ICing  Edward  VI. 's  School,  Bury  St.  Edmund's,  together  from  i8oi 
to  1804,  the  Bishop  having  entered  it,  at  eight  years  of  age,  in  1794,  and  the 
Judge  in  1801,  having  migrated  thither  from  the  Charterhouse ;  they  were  at 
Cambridge  together  from  1805  to  1809,  as  the  Bishop  entered  at  Trinity  in 
1804,  and  the  Judge  at  the  same  College  in  1805  (afterwarch  migrating  to 
Caius);  they  took  brilliant  degrees,  the  lawyer,  however,  beating  the  ecclesiastic, 
t'.ie  latter  in  1808  as  Third  Wrangler  and  First  Chancellor's  Medallist,  the 
former  in  1809  as  Senior  Wrangler,  First  Smith's  Prizeman,  -and  First  Chan- 
cellor's Medallist.    They  were  both  Fellows  of  their  respective  Colleges. 

t  Mr.  Liddell. 


46 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


tempest  will  soon  pass.  People  at  present  are  making  political 
capital,  as  it  is  called,  out  of  Romanizing  Protestants,  as  they 
call  them.  I  have  the  greatest  contempt  for  all  such  people  and 
their  attempts  ;  but  I  fear  lest  some  of  my  earnest-minded  friends 
should  not  be  so  quiet  as  I  am.  Sooth  to  say,  Belgravia  has 
produced  some  extravagances  of  devotion.  There  has  been  a 
good  deal  of  gesticulation,  very  pardonable  if  it  did  not  do  so 
much  mischief  to  others.  We  suffered  here,  at  St.  Mary  Mag- 
dalene, from  it  when  Dr.  Pusey  preached  the  other  day.  But 
as  we  are  quiet  people  we  are  recovering  the  effects.  I  wish 
people  not  to  feel  one  jot  less,  but  to  express  it  much  less  out- 
wardly. This  is  what  we  ought  to  aim  at,  and  if  we  can  accomplish 
it  we  shall  keep  all  that  is  good,  in  spite  of  all  the  Westertons  in 
the  world. 

I  have  read  the  enclosed  paper  with,  I  own,  some  satisfaction 
that  you  are  not  so  strict  in  your  discipline  at  this  moment  as  yon 
ought  to  be.  I  should  not  wish  it  permanently  to  be  so,  however. 
For  I  agree  with  you  that  you  want  a  head  to  govern.  But  don't 
begin  your  repairs  in  the  hurricane  month. 

If  I  can  be  of  use  I  shall  be  glad,  and  shall  be  always  ready  to 
talk  it  over  with  you.  A  short  conversation  is  worth  a  quire  of 
writing;  as,  in  conversation,  I  see  and  appreciate  your  difficulties, 
which  it  is  not  so  easy  to  do  in  a  letter. 

Very  faithfully  and  truly  yours, 

E.  M.  Alderson. 

To  the  Rev.  J.  Skinner. 

A  memorial  had  been  presented  to  the  Bishop,  entreat- 
ing him  to  reconsider  such  commands  as  v^ere  contrary 
to  lawful  liberty.  Mr.  Richard  Cavendish*  wrote  to  Mr. 
Skinner : — 

I  have  written  to  the  churchwardens  to  append  my  name,  but 
for  fear  of  any  mistake  I  write  also  to  you.  .  .  ,  Words  cannot 

*  Afterwards  Lord  Richard  Cavendish, 


WORIC  IN  PIMLICO. 


47 


express  my  indignation,  especially  at  the  Bishop's  conduct.  It  is 
sad,  too,  with  such  a  constant  trial  pressing  upon  you,  to  have  all 
the  misery  of  this  wretched  struggle  with  the  Bishop,  to  whom  you 
ought  to  be  able  to  look  for  your  principal  support.  It  is  most 
needful  that  a  stand  should  be  made  against  the  unlawful  com- 
mands of  a  Bishop,  issued  merely  in  the  vain  hope  of  "  satisfying 
a  public  "  who  will  never  be  satisfied  with  anything  short  of  the 
abolition  of  all  Catholic  doctrine  and  worship  in  the  English 
Church.  The  notion  of  your  having  on  any  account  to  leave 
St.  Barnabas'  fills  me  with  dismay.  I  dare  not  think  of  it.  May 
God  be  merciful  unto  us  ! 

Throughout  this  struggle  for  liberty,  Charles  Lov/der 
was,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  letters,  of  one  mind 
with  the  Senior  Curate,  joining  heartily  in  his  efforts  to 
preserve  what  had  been  gained.  In  all  that  has  been 
related  he  shared  by  sympathy,  counsel,  and  co-operation, 
so  that  it  forms  part  of  the  story  of  his  life.  Nor  was  it 
an  unimportant  part.  He  was  polishing  his  armour,  never 
on  earth  to  lay  it  aside,  for  the  hard  and  life-long  battle 
which  was  before  him  ;  and  learning,  even  through  his  own 
or  others'  mistakes,  lessons  without  which  he  would  have 
been  lacking  in  much  of  the  experience  which  he  brought 
to  bear  upon  his  future  work.  Of  his  life  at  this  time 
Mr.  Skinner  writes  : — ■ 

His  whole  heart  was  centred  in  work  for  the  poor;  his 
districts  lay  in  the  slums  to  the  west  of  Ebury  Square,  which  are 
now  improved  out  of  existence,  and  he  had  special  charge  oi 
the  day  and  night  schools.  In  these  two  spheres  of  labour,  he 
devoted  himself  to  the  task  of  raising  up  the  ignorant  and  vicious 
and  oppressed  to  a  higher  and  truer  conception  of  God  and  of 
themselves.  He  learnt  by  experience  how  much  a  warm  and 
bright  and  beautiful  ceremonial  contributed  to  this  end;  and 


48 


CHARLES  LOIVDER. 


therefore  he  valued  it,  while,  for  its  own  sake,  he  cared  little 
about  it. 

No  man  had  less  of  mere  aesthetic  sentiment  about  his  re- 
ligion. He  was  weak,  rather  than  otherwise,  in  imaginative  power  ; 
but  he  had  considerable  intellectual,  specially  logical,  force,  and 
a  strong  will,  combined  with  indomitable  courage.  His  appre- 
ciation of  ritual,  as  the  handmaid  of  devotion  and  the  ex- 
pression of  faith,  was  from  the  conviction  of  his  understanding 
that  it  is  a  logical  necessity  of  the  case,  as  well  as  the  fulfilment 
of  a  natural  law;  that— given  a  human  soul  and  body  for  the 
instrument,  the  creeds  of  the  Catholic  Church  for  the  subject, 
and  Almighty  God  for  the  Object  of  faith  and  worship — ritual  is 
the  only  process  by  which  Christian  homage  can  be  outwardly 
paid.  As  to  the  ritual  of  St.  Peter's-in-the-East,  men  may  well 
be  allowed  to  differ  in  their  criticism.  But  in  one  thing  all 
must  be  agreed,  that  Charles  Lowder  knew  what  he  was  about 
when  he  began  it ;  I  mean  that  it  was  the  result  of  principles 
learnt  at  St.  Barnabas',  and  of  long  and  diligent  experience  among 
the  classes  for  whose  souls  he  painfully  watched,  and  for  whom  he 
actually  found  it  to  be  a  stay. 

If  it  be  said  of  the  long  battle  at  St.  Barnabas'  in 
which  he  took  part,  that  it  was  a  struggle  for  trivial  details, 
vmimportant  to  real  work,  the  answer  is  that,  besides  the 
principle  of  preserving  liberty  which  was  involved,  each 
detail  was  only  trivial  in  the  same  sense  in  which  the 
colours  of  a  regiment  are  in  themselves  unimportant — 
a  piece  of  embroidered  silk,  no  weapon  of  war,  and  yet 
so  precious  in  their  symbolism  that  a  soldier  counts  blood 
and  life  itself  well  lost  to  save  them.  Nay,  the  very 
fierceness  of  the  attack  upon  outward  order  and  reverence 
was  the  most  striking  acknowledgment  of  consciousness, 
on  the  enemy's  part,  of  their  power  and  importance, — even 


JUDGMENT  OF  THE  PRIVY  COUNCIL. 


49 


as  the  splendour  of  military  ritual  can  never  be  witnessed 
without  forcing  us  to  feel  its  influence,  and  the  power 
which  it  must  possess,  especially  with  the  rough  and  un- 
educated, to  kindle  enthusiasm  and  create  unity  of  feeling 
and  of  action. 

Time,  after  all,  brings  relief  to  most  difficulties,  if  only 
they  can  patiently  be  borne ;  and  so,  for  St.  Barnabas', 
time  and  patience  wrought  out  the  solution  of  nearly  all 
that  contest,  of  which  a  brief  notice  has  been  attempted 
here,  and  of  which  the  end  may  be  as  briefly  told.  In  a 
letter  to  the  Times  of  July  13,  1854,  the  Senior  Curate 
wrote  : — 

God  knows,  sir,  our  work  —  our  real  vital  work  —  here  is 
but  hardly  begun.  There  are  yet  a  thousand  strongholds  of 
Satan  to  be  stormed,  which  may  make  the  boldest  heart  tremble. 
But  who  hinder  us?  AVho  weaken  our  arms  and  baffle  all  our 
efforts ?  "A  Belgravian "  and  such  as  he.  We  cannot  build  up 
poor  men's  souls,  and  fight  against  such  foes  as  these  at  the  same 
time.  .  .  .  The  outcry  has  gone  forth,  "  The  worship  of  St.  Bar- 
nabas' is  Popish."  I  deny  it.  The  worship  of  St.  Barnabas'  is 
the  worship  of  the  Church  of  England.  We  challenge  this  issue 
in  the  courts  of  the  Church  of  England,  if  any  such  there  be. 
If  it  is  not  the  worship  of  the  Church  of  England,  the  sooner 
it  is  put  down  the  better." 

The  distress  of  litigation,  to  which  the  questions  in 
dispute  were  at  length  referred,  was  enhanced  by  two 
unfavourable  decisions  ;  but  it  was  not  without  compensa- 
tion. The  logical  issues  of  the  first — the  Lushington  judg- 
ment— were  plainly  these :  (i)  That  the  reformed  Church 
of  England  is  a  new  thing — the  creation  of  the  sixteenth 
century,  without  continuity  or  dependence  or  affinity  or 

E 


50 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


descent  beyond  three  centuries.  (2)  That  what  the  present 
Prayer-book  of  the  English  Church  has  prescribed  is  a 
virtual  prohibition  of  everything  else,  ejiisdem  generis,  parit)) 
and  tradition  having  no  value  even  as  explanatory  in 
cases  of  doubt.  (3)  That  the  usages  of  the  ancient  Church 
are  absolutely  repudiated. 

The  judgment  was  an  attack  upon  the  essence  of  the 
Church  of  England  in  its  character  as  a  portion  of  the  one 
Holy  Catholic  and  Apostolic  Church ;  it  was  an  effort  to 
abolish  that  ceremonial  worship  of  God  which  has  ever 
been  the  correlative  of  sacramental  grace  in  the  Catholic, 
as  previously  in  the  Jewish  Church. 

The  appeal  to  the  Court  of  Arches,  under  Sir  J.  Dodson, 
did  little  to  remove  the  stigma.  But  the  cause  was  sub- 
mitted, on  appeal,  to  the  Committee  of  Privy  Council,  and 
on  ^March  21,  1857,  it  received  such  a  different,  because 
fairer,  construction  as  (if  that  Committee  had  but  adhered 
to  its  own  sentence)  might  perhaps  have  satisfied  the 
Church,  and  finally  settled  those  disputes  as  to  ritual 
and  ceremonial  which  still  continue  to  burn. 

The  use  of  the  cross  as  an  ornament  of  churches  from 
the  earliest  periods  of  Christianity  was  plainly  confirmed  ; 
the  credence  table  and  the  embroidered  and  coloured 
cloths  of  the  altar  were  pronounced  lawful ;  the  use  of 
lights  at  the  celebration  of  Holy  Communion  was  not 
disturbed ;  and,  generally,  the  construction  of  the  word 
"  ornaments  "  in  the  much-canvassed  rubric  at  the  opening 
of  the  Prayer-book  was  declared,  after  much  consideration, 
to  apply  and  to  be  confined  to  those  articles,  the  use  of 
which  in  the  services  and  ministrations  of  the  Church  is 
prescribed  by  the  First  Prayer-book  of  Edward  VI. 


LA  W  AND  RITUAL. 


51 


It  is  important  to  note  here  that  it  was  under  the 
sanction  of  this  first  judgment  of  the  Privy  Council  (what- 
ever its  worth  may  be)  tliat  Charles  Lowder  introduced 
his  "  ritual "  in  the  East  of  London  ;  and  that  he  con- 
scientiously felt  it  to  be  right  for  him  to  persevere  in  it, 
as  being  the  Church's  law,  in  spite  of  the  fact  (which  he 
left  them  to  reconcile  with  consistency)  that  the  Lords  of 
the  Council  had  changed  their  minds. 

The  following  extracts  from  letters  will  give  some 
notion  of  the  depth  of  feeling  which  these  judgments 
excited  amongst  the  congregation  of  St.  Barnabas' ;  and 
as  they  practically  settled  the  troubles  of  the  infancy 
of  that  parish,  they  may  interest  many  to  whom  the  ex- 
citement and  anxiety  of  those  days  are  only  now  matters 
of  history. 

The  two  first  are  from  an  able  Chancery  barrister,  of 
condolence  on  the  Lushington  judgment,  and  of  congratu- 
lation on  its  reversal ;  and  the  last  is  given,  with  Mr. 
Liddell's  kind  permission,  as  containing  the  account  of 
the  final  peaceful  settlement  of  affairs  at  St.  Barnabas'.  It 
was  written  to  his  former  coadjutor  after  broken  health 
had  forced  the  latter  to  retire  from  his  post, 

...  I  beg  to  offer  you  my  most  sincere  sympathy  on  the  event 
of  this  day  (December  5,  1855).  Indeed,  I  can  assure  you  that  I 
feel  it  myself,  personally,  quite  a  blow;  though,  of  course,  much 
less  so  than  you  must,  whose  whole  life  has  of  late  years  been  so 
bound  up  with  all  that  a  godless  worid  is  seeking  to  undo,  and 
who  have  with  such  labour  brought  St.  Barnabas'  to  be  a  model 
of  a  Christian  sanctuary. 

But  pray  be  not  discouraged.  I  am  well  aware  how  dis- 
couraging and  heart-sickening  this  day's  proceedings  must  be  to 


52 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


you,  but  you  have  still  left  the  lasting  encouragement  of  a  congre- 
gation of  attached  and  grateful  people.  ...  I  grant  the  judg- 
ment was  an  able  one  as  a  piece  of  reasoning  from  his  premises, 
but  these  I  think  sadly  far  from  being  those  from  which  a  judge 
in  such  matters  ought  to  start.  .  ,  . 

I  much  dread,  nevertheless,  the  effect  of  to-day's  decision  upon 
the  minds  of  many  of  the  clergy,  specially  of  those  labouring  in 
humble  imitation  of  St.  Barnabas',  of  whom  I  know  several,  in 
country  districts,  where  they  have  not  the  sympathy  and  en- 
couragement of  kindred  minds  immediately  to  fall  back  upon. 
Never  do  I  remember  to  have  read  of  any  judicial  decision  which 
has  so  avowedly  inculcated  sacrilege  as  this  in  the  removal  of 
crosses ;  or  which  will  produce  such  incalculable  mischief,  espe- 
cially in  the  minds  of  the  ignorant,  whom  it  will  take  years  to 
persuade  (if  ever  they  can  be  persuaded)  of  the  valuelessness 
(really)  of  doctrines  stamped  with  legal  authority. 

But  I  hope  and  believe  you  will  be  sustained  under  this  trial, 
and  abate  not  a  jot  of  that  steadfastness  you  have  so  invariably 
shown. 

Forgive  all  this  from  a  layman  ;  but  I  cannot  refrain  from 
speaking  out,  things  have  come  to  such  a  pass. 

My  other  object  in  troubling  you  with  this  (after  conveying 
to  you  my  heartfelt  sympathy)  is,  in  case  (as  I  hope  devoutly  it 
may)  the  decision  is  appealed  from,  to  offer  you  my  free  and 
willing  professional  services  in  helping  forward  the  case  in  any 
way  in  which  I  might  be  of  use.  .  .  . 

March  24,  1857. 

Though  of  course,  through  your  friends,  you  have  heard  of 
the  glorious  news  of  Saturday,  I  cannot  help  troubling  you,  mixed 
up  as  I  have  been  so  much  of  late  in  the  contest,  with  a  few 
additional  remarks  upon  it. 

I  hope  you  are  satisfied  with  it.  I  think  we  all  ought  to  be. 
I  myself  am  overjoyed  and  filled  with  thankfulness  for  it — so 
much  more  than  we  could  have  expected,  looking  at  the  constitu- 
tion of  the  court,  and  the  two  adverse  judgments  to  work  against 


LETTER  FROM  MR.  LIDDELL. 


S3 


I  cannot,  in  fact,  help  recognizing  God's  especial  providence  in 
thus  "  turning  the  hearts "  of  the  most  unlikely  to  so  decided  a 
step  in  our  favour  as  a  reversal  on  three  important  particulars. 

I  believe  also  that  the  longer  and  more  calmly  we  look  into  it, 
the  more  reason  for  joy  we  shall  discover  in  it.  I  can  hardly  yet 
bring  myself  to  realize  its  importantly  beneficial  ultimate  effects, 
and  all  disappointment  at  private  losses  should  surely  be  merged 
in  the  vindication  of  the  principle  at  large  for  which  we  have  been 
contending.  Mr.  Liddell  has  again  and  again  said  he  has  been 
fighting  the  Church's  battle,  and  not  a  mere  local  battle.  Well,  he 
has  won  the  greater;  can  he  not  afford  to  give  up  the  less  ?  He 
has  set  free  every  clergyman,  every  architect  in  future  to  decorate 
their  churches  with  the  "  servilely  imitative  "  and  meretricious 
ornaments"  which  we  have  heard  so  much  about.  And  the 
intense  sophistry  which  Dr.  Lushington  has  done  his  best  to 
circulate,  and  the  groundless  imputations  he  has  charged  you 
with,  have  been  scattered  to  the  winds.  .  .  . 

It  really  was  the  greatest  treat  (merely  intellectually  con- 
sidered) to  hear  each  quicksand  that  wrecked  us  before,  now 
passed  in  safety — though  it  was  in  fear  and  trembling  that  one 
listened  to  it.    A  more  exciting  scene  I  seldom  remember. 

Wilton  Place,  Wednesday  in  Easter  Week,  1858. 

Let  me  ask  you  still  to  rejoice  with  me  that  St.  Barnabas'  is, 
with  the  blessing  of  God,  going  on  so  very  prosperously.  ...  In 
spite  of  all  the  obloquy  from  without,  and  many  acknowledged 
infirmities  within,  it  has  gone  on,  doing,  as  I  believe,  a  great  and 
mighty  work  for  God.  And  having  my  eye  on  yon,  who  worked 
there  so  hard  and  above  your  strength,  I  may  say  to  those  who 
succeeded  you,  while  I  wish  most  gratefully  to  appreciate  their 
exertions  also — still  I  may  say,  "  Other  men  laboured,  and  ye  are 
entered  into  their  labours." 

I  think  that  judgment  of  the  Committee  of  the  Privy  Council 
broke  the  neck  of  the  opposition  here.  We  soon  settled  down 
into  a  state  of  blessed  quiet,  interrupted  now  and  then  by  a  little 


54 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


trouble,  but  nothing  to  speak  of;  and  the  work  has  gone  on 
thriving  progressively  ever  since.  Whenever  there  is  any  discussion 
before  the  Bishop  of  London,  I  find  it  so  much  easier  to  stand  up 
to  him  and  tell  him  my  own  exact  mind  and  determination,  than  I 
did  with  the  last  Bishop,  whom  I  had  known  intimately  from  a 
child,  and  from  whom  it  gave  me  the  most  intense  pain  to  differ ; 
though  that  latterly,  as  you  know,  was  not  seldom.  He,  towards 
the  end  of  his  career,  used  to  take  one's  opposition  as  a  personal 
msult ;  whereas  the  present  Bishop  is  very  good-tempered,  and 
being  no  older  than  myself,  and  with  no  parochial  experience,  he 
is  easier  to  deal  with,  even  though  we  may  not  agree.  I  stand,  as 
steadily  as  I  can,  upon  the  law  of  the  Church,  and  he  has  had  in 
several  arguments  with  me  to  end  by  knocking  under,  or  letting 
me  alone,  which  is  the  same  thing.  You  may  have  perhaps 
heard  that  some  time  after  the  delivery  of  the  judgment  he  visited 
my  churches,  with  a  view,  as  he  said  at  first,  of  exercising  his  discre- 
tion as  Ordinary  upon  the  use  of  the  altar-cloths,  and  next  upon 
the  disposal  of  the  stone  altar  after  its  removal.  I  had  to  tell  him 
tout  bon7ieme7it  that,  as  I  was  advised,  he  had  no  power  what- 
ever, either  in  the  one  instance  or  the  other ;  and  he  said  he 
would  consider  it,  and  wrote  in  a  few  days  to  say  I  was  right.  I 
have  had  two  or  three  cases  of  dispute  between  me  and  Westerton 
brought  before  the  Bishop,  in  all  of  which  he  has  ended  in  giving 
sentence  in  my  favour.  We  had  a  great  tussle,  by  the  way,  at  first, 
because  he  withheld  White's  licence  unless  I  surrendered  to  him 
the  discretionary  power  which  the  law  of  the  Church  gives  to  an 
Incumbent  in  reference  to  the  details  of  divine  service.  But 
there,  again,  he  was  so  entirely  in  the  wrong  that  in  the  end  he 
had  to  give  way. 

But  enough  of  these  matters.  The  blessing  is  that  now  we 
are  established  and  swimming  in  deep  water,  and  each  day  only 
strengthens  our  position. 

This  Lent  was  very  devoutly  kept,  and  I  speak  of  course  more 
of  St.  Barnabas'  than  St.  Paul's.  The  attendance  throughout  it 
has  been  most  remarkable,  and  on  Easter  Day  the  throngs  of 


PEACEFUL  CONCLUSION. 


55 


worshippers  were  such  that  the  church  was  quite  incapable  of 
containing  them ;  they  stood  out  in  the  street,  opposite  the  west 
door,  quite  across  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  road.  There  were 
three  celebrations — 6  a.ni.,  159;  8  a.m.,  137;  11  a.m.,  187 ;  total, 
483.*  I  was  there  in  the  evening,  and  I  never  saw  such  a  con- 
gregation in  my  life,  and  so  reverent  and  earnest !  .  .  . 

We  have  jus-t  got  over  our  Easter  Tuesday  election  of  church- 
wardens with  unwonted  quietness  and  brevity.  Ten  or  twelve 
minutes  concluded  the  whole  affair,  mirahile  didu.  Westerton  had, 
and  I  believe  with  sincerity,  expressed  his  wish  and  determination 
to  resign  ;  but  his  party  could  get  no  one  else  to  stand.  The  in- 
fluential people  of  the  parish  stand  aloof,  and  so  he  was  urged  by 
his  party  to  stand  again,  and  at  last  consented.  I  agree  with  you 
that  we  really  now  need  not  care  who  is  in  the  oflice,  and  it  is 
doubtless  better  that  they  should  have  their  fling,  to  show  at  last 
how  little  they  can  do  or  have  done  in  obstructing  the  truth  ;  for 
God  in  wonderful  ways  overrules  human  violence  or  party  spirit 
for  the  ultimate  furtherance  of  His  own  work.  Bad  men  seem 
always  on  the  point  of  prevailing,  but  somehow  they  don't.  For 
my  part,  as  long  as  Churchmen  are  remiss  about  putting  a  worthy 
man  into  this  office,  I  am  profoundly  indifferent  who  fills  it,  and 
would  just  as  soon  have  Westerton  as  any  one  else,  if  not  sooner, 
for  I  have  got  to  know  his  ways  now.  He  cannot  hinder  one 
morsel  ot  our  real  work,  and  the  field  of  controversy  about 
externals  is  greatly  narrowed  by  the  recent  judgment.  .  .  , 

In  the  mean  time,  thanks  to  God,  we  are  carrying  on  our 
services  and  regulations  with  increasing  order  and  efficiency,  and 
agitation  against  us  has  burnt  itself  out,  without  having  shaken  us 
from  our  steadfast  position.  .  .  . 

I  ought  to  tell  you  that,  being  most  anxious  to  spare  the  devout 
feelings  of  our  people  to  the  uttermost  in  the  necessarily  painful 
matter  of  removing  the  stone  altar,  I  took  that  responsibility 
entirely  upon  myself.  By  Cundy's  advice,  and  after  a  beautiful 
simple  design  by  him,  I  employed  Myers,  the  great  building  con- 
*  Oa  Easter  Day,  1S81,  there  were  761  communicants  at  St,  Barnabas'. 


56 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


tractor  in  Lambeth,  to  make  a  very  massive  one  in  carved  oak, 
on  six  pillars,  of  exactly  the  same  dimensions  as  the  original  stone 
one,  so  that  all  the  vestments  fitted,  of  course,  perfectly.  The 
stone  one  was  then  most  carefully  taken  down  by  first-rate  work- 
men. The  beautiful  slab  was  laid  down  on  a  level  with  the  floor, 
so  as  to  form  the  basis  on  which  the  new  altar  had  to  stand,  and  was 
thus  secured  ///  situ  as  much  as  was  possible  under  the  circum- 
stances. The  rest  of  the  structure  was  set  up  again  in  the  crypt, 
immediately  under  the  altar,  with  a  new  slab  of  plain  Portland 
stone.  So  if  at  any  future  day  that  absurd  prohibition  of  a  stone 
altar  be  repealed,  then  the  whole  thing  is  capable  of  being  re- 
stored as  it  originally  was.  .  .  . 

Ever,  my  dear  friend,  yours  most  truly  and  affectionately, 

Robert  Liddell. 


CHAPTER  V. 


VISIT  TO  YVETOT. 
1854-1855. 

"The  strawberry  grows  undemeath  the  nettle." 

We  have  broken  the  thread  of  our  story  in  order  to  learn 
briefly  the  issue  of  the  contest  at  St.  Barnabas',  and  must 
return  to  the  Easter  of  1854,  when  Westerton  was  a  candi- 
date for  the  office  of  churchwarden  at  St.  Paul's  Knights- 
bridge. 

To  the  crypt  at  St.  Barnabas'  there  is  an  underground 
passage  from  the  choristers'  vestry,  where  the  boys  oc- 
casionally lurked  and  larked.  Among  these  was  at  this 
time  a  cousin  of  Charles  Lowder,  a  Christ's  Hospital  boy, 
who  was  on  a  visit  at  the  college.  He  was  inflamed  by  the 
sight  of  "  Vote  for  Westerton  "  carried  on  a  board  by  a  man, 
"sandwich -wise,"  through  the  streets  near  St.  Barnabas'. 
He  and  the  other  boys  conceived  a  fierce  desire  to  do 
battle  with  the  innocent  bearer  of  the  obnoxious  placard, 
and  he  entreated  his  cousin  to  allow  them  to  throw  some- 
thing at  the  man.  Charles  bade  him  not  throw  dirt  or 
stones,  but  gave  the  boys  sixpence  to  buy  rotten  eggs.  They 
were  not  slow  in  using  them,  carrying  the  war  into  Ebury 
Street,  and  the  bespattered  "  sandwich  "  complained  to  his 


58 


CHARLES  LOIVDER. 


employers,  who  speedily  invoked  the  aid  of  the  law  against 
the  assailants.  Charles  was  interrogated,  and  took  all  the 
blame  of  inciting  the  boys  to  bedaub  the  inscription. 
Before  the  police  magistrate,  he  repeated  publicly  the 
admission  of  indiscretion,  and  sorrow  for  it,  which  he 
had  already  made  privately,  and  the  case  was  dismissed, 
with  more  than  acquiescence  on  the  part  of  the  prosecution. 

He  expressed  nothing  but  deep  regret  and  self-blame 
for  his  thoughtless  and  wrong  action,  and,  it  need  scarcely 
be  said,  made  liberal  private  compensation  to  the  placard- 
man;  but,  in  the  state  of  matters  at  St.  Barnabas',  his 
fault  was  more  than  ordinarily  full  of  mischievous  conse- 
quences, and  of  distress  to  his  colleagues  and  superiors 
The  newspapers  of  course  made  large  capital  out  of  the 
occurrence,  proclaiming  a  Puseyite  conspiracy  to  put  dov/n 
Protestant  churchwardens  by  force.  Bishop  Blomfield 
took  the  matter  up,  and  the  following  letters  will  show  how 
he  dealt  with  it. 

The  Bishop  of  London  requests  the  Rev.  C.  F.  Lowder  to 
call  at  London  House  to-morrow,  at  half-past  ten  o'clock. 
London  House,  May  3,  1854. 

London  House,  May  6,  1854. 

Dear  Sir, 

I  am  sorry  to  be  under  the  necessity  of  stating  that  I 
consider  it  to  be  my  imperative  duty  to  mark  my  sense  of  the 
scandal  occasioned  to  the  Church  by  your  late  indiscreet  conduct. 

I  had  at  first  thought  it  would  be  necessary  to  revoke  your 
licence ;  but  in  consideration  of  your  having  made,  though  some- 
what tardily,  a  public  acknowledgment  of  your  fault,  I  shall 
content  myself  with  suspending  you  from  the  exercise  of  your 
functions,  as  Curate  of  St  Barnabas',  for  the  space  of  six  weeks, 
dating  from  this  day. 


BISHOP  BLOMFIELD'S  LETTERS. 


59 


It  is  with  extreme  pain  that  I  visit  you  even  with  this  censure  j 
but  my  sense  of  duty  to  tlie  Church  will  not  allow  me  to  do  less. 

In  the  way  of  pimishme7if,  I  am  sure  that  your  own  feelings 
will  have  been  enough.  I  trust  that  you  may  be  able  to  regain, 
for  yourself  and  for  the  Church,  the  ground  which  you  have 
lost. 

I  am,  dear  sir. 

Your  faithful  servant. 
The  Rev.  C.  F.  Lowder,  C.  J.  London. 


Lansdown  House,  Ryde,  May  9,  1854. 

My  Lord, 

I  have  just  received  your  lordship's  letter,  which  I 
found  awaiting  me  here.  I  am  most  thankful  to  your  lordship  for 
having  so  far  listened  to  the  kind  intercessions  of  Mr.  Liddell 
:  and  Mr.  Parke,  of  which  I  only  to-day  heard,  as  to  mitigate  the 
term  of  suspension  first  intended. 

But  feeling,  as  I  do  most  deeply,  the  sin  of  causing  this 
scandal  to  the  Church,  I  am  almost  thankful  to  be  allowed  to 
bear  some  ecclesiastical  punishment  at  your  lordship's  hands.  I 
trust  that,  by  God's  blessing,  it  may  be  the  means  of  effectually 
quickening  my  endeavour,  for  the  future,  to  labour  more  heartily 
and  patiently  for  Him  against  whom  I  have  thus  sinned. 

If  I  failed  to  express  to  your  lordship  as  earnestly  as  I  felt 
my  sorrow  for  this  transaction,  I  trust  that  your  lordship  will 
ascribe  it  rather  to  the  shock  that  my  mind  had  sustained,  than  to 
a  wish  of  justifying  my  conduct.* 

London  House,  May  10,  1854. 

My  dear  Sir, 

I  hasten  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  letter 
which  is  in  all  respects  what  it  ought  to  be :  and  I  assure  you 
that  what  has  happened,  painful  as  it  has  been  to  me  and  to  your 

*  The  copy  of  this  letter  ends  here. 


6o 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


Other  friends,  will  not  alter  my  opinion  of  you,  as  a  zealous  and 
conscientious  Clergyman. 

I  am,  my  dear  sir, 

Your  faithful  servant, 

C.  J.  London'. 

Mr.  Bennett  wrote  to  Charles  : — 

Frome-Selwood  Vicarage,  Somerset,  May  8,  1854. 

My  dear  Friend, 

Take  heart  and  be  not  dispirited.  ...  I  do  not  see 
that  anything  done  by  you  in  this  matter,  as  far  as  I  have  heard 
of  it,  involves  one  iota  more  than  thoughtless  indiscretion.  .  .  . 
It  may  be  any  one's  turn  next — my  turn  perhaps — to  be  over- 
taken in  a  fault.  I  have  no  doubt  I  myself  have  done,  or  might 
have  done,  a  similar  thing.  You  have  acknowledged  your  mistake 
and  made  atonement.  We  must  pray  for  your  peace  and  restora- 
tion, and  God  will  hear  our  prayers ;  and  after  you  have  suffered  a 
while,  all  will  be  peace  again. 

Would  you  like  to  come  here  for  a  short  time  ?  There  is  room 
for  you,  and  we  shall  all  be  glad  to  give  you  shelter.  I  who  was 
myself  a  refugee  from  dear  St.  Barnabas'  am  the  fittest  now  to 
shelter  you.  Come  here  then,  and  in  this  comparatively  quiet 
place  seek  peace,  and  God  will  give  it. 

Charles  went  to  see  his  family  at  Enfield,  and  his 
brother  wrote  :  "  I  never  saw  any  one  look  so  broken- 
hearted." The  little  episode  of  his  "  ovation,"  as  Bishop 
Blomfield  playfully  called  it,  was  for  long  a  sore  subject 
with  him,  and  one  of  which  he  was  heartily  ashamed.  It 
led,  however,  to  circumstances  which  influenced  his  whole 
after  life. 

He  went  abroad  during  his  six  weeks'  suspension,  and 
spent  some  days  at  the  Petit  Seminaire  of  Yvetdt,  in  the 


VISIT  TO  ROUEN. 


61 


diocese  of  Rouen,  where  he  was  hospitably  entertained. 
The  superior,  M.  I'Abbe  P.  L.  Labbe,  had  Hved  much  in 
England  when  his  father  was  an  emigre,  and  took  the  more 
interest  in  his  English  guest.  Charles  writes  to  his  mother: — 

Rouen,  May  22,  1854. 
...  I  have  been  on  the  move  since  landing  at  Havre,  and 
Iiave  not  been  able  to  sit  down  quietly  to  write  before  to-day, 
i  left  Ryde  on  Wednesday  morning  for  Southampton,  took  the 
steamer  for  Havre  about  2.30,  p.m.,  and  after  a  quick  passage 
arrived  at  one  the  next  morning.  I  spent  Thursday  in  Havre,  and 
tlie  next  morning  started  early  on  foot,  sending  my  carpet-bag 
by  train.    It  was  a  very  good  day  for  walking,  not  too  warm,  and 
I  made  a  good  use  of  it.    Leaving  Havre  about  7.30,  I  got  upon 
the  heights  of  Andelys,  whence  there  is  a  very  fine  view  of  the 
town  and  the  Seine,  and  then  continuing  on  the  heights  to  the 
cresting  old  church  and  remains  of  the  Abbey  of  Graville.  .  .  . 
t  Yvetot,  a  station  on  the  Havre  and  Rouen  railroad,  I  found 
rny  carpet-bag,  and  we  both  journeyed  on  to  Rouen.    After  going 
about  hunting  for  lodgings,  I  at  last  fixed  upon  my  present  humble 
aijode,  a  small  room  and  a  bed-room,  for  which  I  give  ten  francs 
a  week.  ...  I  have  an  introduction  to  the  Archbishop,  but  he 
is  unfortunately  absent,  confirming.    I  am,  however,  to  be  intro- 
duced to  him  when  he  returns.    Mr.  also  has  given  me  an 

introduction  to  a  friend  of  his  at  Yvetot,  whom  I  must  try  and 
find  out,  as  it  is  lonely  knowing  no  one. 

It  is  a  great  privation  to  be  away  from  dear  St.  Barnabas' 
during  this  festival  season  which  is  coming  on ;  however,  I  must 
bear  that  patiently,  as  it  is  my  own  fault.  The  Rogation  Days 
are  kept  here  by  processions  through  the  town,  and  I  suppose 
Ascension  Day  will  be  observed  with  great  solemnity;  but  of 
course,  although  one  tries  to  enter  into  the  spirit  of  the  services, 
it  is  not  like  one's  own  home.  .  .  . 

Yours  very  affectionately, 

Charles. 


62 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


Vernon,  Department  of  Eure,  May  27,  1854. 

On  Tuesday  I  went  to  Yvetot,  a  station  on  the  Havre 
and  Rouen  railway,  and  arrived  at  the  Petit  S^minaire,  a  large 
school  for  boys,  in  the  afternoon.  I  was  received  very  kindly, 
though  M.  Labbd,  to  whom  I  had  introductions,  did  not  return 
till  the  evening.  They  begged  me  to  sleep  there,  which  I  did, 
and  I  hope  to  spend  a  part  of  next  week  quietly  there,  and  so 
see  something  more  of  the  working  of  the  French  clergy  and 
their  schools, 

Thursday,  of  course,  being  the  Feast  of  the  Ascension,  was 
kept  very  solemnly,  by  immensely  crowded  churches.  It  is  indeed 
very  striking  to  see  the  reverence  and  hearty  devotion  of  the 
people  ;  I  wish  we  had  anything  like  it  in  England.  Friday, 
I  took  a  walk  to  Mont  St.  Catherine,  which  you  may  remember 
— the  beautiful  hill  above  Rouen,  where  there  is  a  most  lovely 
chapel,  though  the  ornaments  are  not  yet  finished.  ...  It  will  be 
much  richer  than  St.  Barnabas'.  .  .  . 

I  hope  to  spend  a  quiet  Sunday  to-morrow.  I  wish  I  had 
St.  Barnabas'  a  little  nearer.  It  is  very  trying  to  be  so  long  with- 
out Communion. 

Yvetot,  May  31,  1854. 
...  I  spent  a  very  quiet  Sunday  at  Yvetot,  partaking,  I  hope, 
in  spirit,  with  my  friends  at  St.  Barnabas',  in  my  own  room,  and 
thoroughly  enjoying  afterwards  a  ramble  and  rest  in  a  delightful 
park  near  this,  the  Pare  de  Bigy,  formerly  belonging  to  Louis 
Philippe,  where  I  lay  on  the  grass,  and  thoroughly  enjoyed 
myself 

Vernon  is  very  prettily  situated  on  the  Seine.  I  left  on 
INIonday  morning  and  walked  to  Les  Andelys,  enjoying  on  my 
way  the  views  of  the  valley  of  the  Seine,  especially  an  old  ruin, 
on  a  most  commanding  height,  called  Chateau  Gaillard,  built  by 
Richard  Coeur  de  Lion  in  a  year.  ...  I  slept  on  Monday  at  Le 
Grand  Andely,  and  walked  thence  yesterday  to  the  Cote  des  Deux 
Amants,  called  so  from  a  very  romantic  lay,  of  a  lover  dying  in 
carrying  his  beloved  up  the  hill.  ...  I  walked  on  to  Pont  de 


SEMINARY  AT  YVETOT. 


63 


I'Arche,  wliere  I  took  the  train,  having  completed  a  very  good 
day's  work  by  twelve  o'clock.  I  met  M.  Labbe  in  Rouen,  and 
we  came  on  here  together  by  the  train,  arriving  about  six  o'clock. 
I  shall  probably  stay  here  over  Whit  Sunday,  and  then  I  shall 
begin  to  think  about  returning.  I  should  like  very  much  to  be 
hack  on  St.  Barnabas'  Day;  but  perhaps,  as  I  could  not  do  any 
duty  till  the  Sunday  after,  it  would  be  better  not.  I  shall  still 
want  a  little  more  holiday,  to  make  me  perfectly  strong,  though  I 
now  feel  a  great  deal  better,  but  still  not  able  to  encounter  any 
great  anxiety.  My  friends  here  are  very  kind,  and  I  have  plenty 
of  French  conversation,  as  well  as  time  for  quiet  thought  and 
recreation. 

Yvetdt,  Whitsun  Monday,  1854. 
I  have  enjoyed  my  visit  here  very  much,  having  received 

1  very  great  kindness  from  all  the  clergy.  It  is  a  school  for  almost 
all  classes,  on  a  strictly  religious  footing,  under  the  Archbishop, 
called  the  Petit  S^minaire;  the  Grand  Se'minaire  at  Rouen 
being  entirely  for  education  for  the  priesthood.  Here  they  are 
admitted,  rich  and  poor,  paying  what  they  can,  from  10  to  jC^2o 
a  year,  but  without  any  difference  being  made  in  their  treatment. 
There  are  about  eighteen  masters,  all  Priests,  except  a  Deacon 
or  two.     They  live  on  the  happiest  terms  mth  the  boys, 

\  dining,  sleeping,  playing  together,  as  one  family.  I  have  a  good 
deal  of  opportunity  of  studying  their  character,  both  in  school 
and  out,  and  it  is  very  interesting  to  see  their  well-disciplined 
tone. 

On  Thursday  I  walked  with  an  English  boy  to  Jumieges,  a 
beautiful  ruin,  the  nave  Roman,  the  choir  middle  pointed,  a  great 
deal  of  polychrome .  remaining  on  the  walls ;  it  was  desecrated  at 
'    the  Revolution. 

Yesterday,  though  I  missed  grievously  the  Great  Blessing,  yet 
I  had  a  great  deal  to  interest  me;  for  a  College  Service  it  was 
very  impressive,  from  the  number  of  Priests — seven  officiating,  to 
represent  the  Seven  Gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  About  one  hundred 
boys  communicated  at  a  Low  Mass,  said  before  High  Afass.  In  the 


64 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


afternoon  I  attended  Vespers  and  Compline  at  the  parisli  church, 
between  which  one  of  the  Professors  here,  a  very  nice  man, 
preached  a  very  good  sermon  from  Acts  ii.,  on  the  sanctity  of  the 
Church  and  her  members.  .  .  . 

His  enforced  exile  from  the  spiritual  home,  after  which 
he  yearned,  was  to  bring  forth  abundant  fruit.  For  he 
was  at  this  time  brought  under  the  influence  of  one  who, 
though  dead,  had  the  greatest  power  over  his  future  life, 
suggesting  to  him  fresh  fields  for  conquest,  and  strengthen- 
ing him  for  the  emprise. 

He  seems  to  have  taken  up,  in  the  library  at  Yvetot,  the 
"Life  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul,"  by  M.  Abelly  ;  and,  after  he 
left  it,  M.  Labbe  writes  to  him  : — 

Yvetot,  9  Juin,  1S54. 

MON  CHER  M.  LoWDER, 

Comme  vous  n'avez  pas  eu  le  temps  d'achever  chez 
nous  la  lecture  de  la  vie  de  S.  Vincent  de  Paul,  qui  paraissait 
vous  interesser,  je  prends  la  liberie  de  vous  I'envoyer,  at  vous  prie 
de  la  lire  en  m^moire  de  vos  amis  d'Yvetot,  et  encore  plus  en 
me'moire  du  grand  saint  dont  elle  retrace  les  actions.  .  .  .  Pour 
moi,  cher  Mr.  Lowder,  je  me  ferai  un  devoir  de  vous  mettre 
chaque  jour  dans  mes  prieres,  afin  que  Dieu,  qui  vous  a  donne 
une  si  grande  droiture  et  humilite  de  coeur,  acheve  son  ouvrage 
en  vous. 

Croyez  moi  bien, 

Tout  votre, 

P.  L.  Lapbe. 

Long  afterwards,  Charles  wrote  of  "  the  deep  impres- 
sion "  made  on  his  mind  by  "  the  sad  condition  of  the 
French  Church  and  nation  in  the  sixteenth  century,  and 
the  wonderful  influence  of  the  institutions  founded  by 


LIFE  OF  ST.  VINCENT  DE  PAUL. 


65 


St.  Vincent  in  reforming  abuses  and  rekindling  the"  zeal  of 
the  priesthood." 

The  heart  must  be  dull  indeed  (he  said)  which  is  not 
stirred  with  emotion  at  the  self-denial  and  energy  with  which  the 
saint  gave  himself  to  the  work  to  which  he  was  called.  .  .  .  The 
deep  wisdom  which  sought  out  the  root  of  so  much  evil,  in  the 
unspiritual  lives  of  the  clergy,  and  provided  means  for  its  redress 
.  .  .  was  well  calculated  to  impress  those  who  seriously  reflected 
on  the  state  of  our  own  Church  and  people,  and  honestly  sought 
for  some  remedy.  The  spiritual  condition  of  the  masses  of  our 
population,  the  appalling  vices  which  prevail  in  our  large  towns, 
and  especially  in  the  teeming  districts  of  the  metropolis,  the 
increasing  tendency  of  the  people  to  mass  together,  multiplying 
and  intensifying  the  evil,  and  the  unsatisfactory  character  of  the 
attempts  hitherto  made  to  meet  it,  were  enough  to  make  men 
gladly  profit  by  the  experience  of  those  who  had  successfully 
struggled  against  similar  difficulties. 

Thus,  being  dead,  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  yet  spoke  to  the 
heart  of  an  English  clergyman  and  gave  a  new  impulse 
to  his  life.  For  Charles  Lowdcr  was  not  one  to  receive 
vividly  such  impressions,  without  working  them  out  to 
any  practical  result.  His  life  of  labour  in  the  schools  and 
district  of  St.  Barnabas'  might  have  satisfied  most  men 
desiring  work  for  the  poor.  Each  of  the  assistant  curates 
had  two  rooms  in  the  College,  as  it  was  then  called,  living 
at  a  common  table.  They  lived  to  minister  in  the  ad- 
joining church,  and  to  serve  the  poor  and  ignorant ;  but 
there  are  traces  in  Charles's  letters  of  his  feeling  even  this 
simple  and  devoted  life  too  comfortable.  A  mingled  cry 
of  suffering,  agony,  miserable  laughter,  mad  blasphemy, 
rang  in  his  ears,  and  entered  into  his  soul, — ^that  cry  which 


66 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


day  and  night  goes  up  from  the  streets  of  East  London, 
but  which  most  of  us  have  neither  ears  to  hear  nor  hearts 
to  consider. 

He  returned  to  St.  Barnabas'  at  Whitsuntide,  but  the 
thought  of  joining  some  kind  of  community  of  missionary- 
priests  had  taken  hold  of  his  mind,  and  he  was  evidently 
trying  to  collect  information  on  the  subject.  M.  Labbe 
writes  to  him  :— 

Yvet6t,  October  7,  1854. 

j\IoN  CHER  Monsieur, 

.  .  .  Je  regrette  de  ne  pouvoir  vous  donner  les  ren- 
seignements  que  vous  desirez  sur  les  Constitutions  des  Pretres  de 
la  Mission ;  je  ne  les  ai  jamais  eues  en  ma  possession,  j'ignore 
meme  si  elles  sont  du  domaine  public,  et  n'ayant  aucune  relation 
chez  les  messieurs  de  S.  Lazare,  je  ne  puis  pas  meme  etre  ren- 
seign^  sur  ce  point.  Je  ne  suis  pas  surpris,  mon  cher  monsieur,  du 
plaisir  que  vous  avez  trouve  k  la  lecture  de  la  vie  de  S.  Vincent 
de  Paul.  Apres  les  livres  saints,  je  n'en  connais  aucun  qui  me 
fasse  une  impression  plus  salutaire.  On  sent,  en  le  lisant,  un 
desir  ardent  de  lui  ressembler,  et  il  semble  que  cela  ne  soit  pas 
trop  difficile.  C'est  ce  que  j'dprouvais  encore  la  semaine  dernih-c, 
en  entendant  lire  pendant  le  repas  (nous  etions  re'unis  tous  les 
pretres  de  la  maison  pour  notre  retraite  annuelle)  la  partie  qui 
traite  de  ses  vertus.  Je  voudrais,  mon  cher  monsieur,  que  vous 
fussiez  si  ^pris  de  S.  Vincent  de  Paul  que  vous  ne  voulussiez  pas 
demeurer  plus  long-temps  hors  de  I'Eglise  qui  a  produit  un  si 
grand  saint.  Vous  avez  du  remarquer  en  lisant  sa  vie  qu'il 
accueillait  avec  grande  cliaritd  les  Pretres  Hibemois  (comme  on 
disait  alors)  perse'cutes  pour  leur  refus  de  se  conformer  \  I'Eglise 
etablie  d'Irlande,  qui  est  soeur  de  la  votre,  et  la  seule  dans  le 
monde  en  communion  avec  elle.  Ne  vous  fachez  pas  de  ce  que 
ie  vous  dis  cela;  mais  je  suis  si  triste  de  voir  qu'un  homme  si 
de'sireux  de  tout  ce  qui  est  bien,  ait  les  yeux  ferme's  a  la  premiere 


LETTERS  FROM  M.  LABBE. 


67 


de  toutes  les  veritds  catholiques,  celle  de  Funite : — et  unam 
Ecclesiam. 

Soyez  assure  que  je  ne  vous  oublirai  point,  et  que  personne  ne 
desire  plus  que  moi  votre  bonheur  en  ce  monde  et  en  I'autre. 
Je  suis,  avec  une  respectieuse  affection,  • 

Votre  devoue  serviteur, 

P.  L.  Labbe,  Pr. 

One  great  interest  of  Charles  Lowder's  life  was  his 
younger  brother,  as  the  following  letters  will  show : — 

Ryde,  September  4,  1854. 

My  dear  Mother, 

You  will  be  glad  to  hear  that  I  saw  Willy  off  on 
Saturday,  .  .  .  but  did  not  arrive  till  after  the  steam-tender  had 
taken  her  first  trip,  and  Willy  among  her  passengers,  to  the  La 
Plata.  I  was  therefore  obliged  to  wait  for  her  last  trip  with  the 
mails,  about  2  p.m.  On  reaching  the  La  Plata  in  Southampton 
Water  I  saw  Willy  on  the  look-out,  though  he  had  almost  given 
me  up.  I  had  about  half  an  hour  to  spend  with  him,  during  which 
we  enjoyed  our  walk  together  on  the  noble  deck,  which  extends 
the  whole  length  of  the  vessel.  .  .  .  He  hopes  to  reo.ch  St.  Thomas's 
in  eleven  or  twelve  days,  and  Barbadoes  about  the  21st.  And 
there  seems  every  probability  of  their  doing  so  with  this  splendid 
weather. 

St.  Barnabas'  College,  October  14,  1854. 

My  dear  Willy, 

I  am  very  much  obliged  for  your  note  which  )ou 
wrote  from  St.  Thomas's.  .  .  .  After  leaving  you  on  board — which 
I  was  very  glad  I  had  the  opportunity  of  doing,  for  I  was  able  to 
picture  to  myself  better  your  life  at  sea,  and  I  know  what  a  comfort 
it  is  on  such  occasions  to  have  some  friend  to  see  you  off — I 
returned  to  Southampton,  and  arrived  just  in  time  to  catch  the 
Ryde  steamer.  ...  I  hope  you  will  give  us  as  accurate  accounts 
of  the  climate  and  your  arrangements  at  Barbadoes  as  you  did  of 


68 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


your  voyage,  as  they  will  be  very  interesting.  Give  me  some  idea 
of  your  school,  and  the  various  professors  and  masters,  and  of  the 
tone  of  the  place.  We  have,  of  course,  been  kept  in  a  state  of 
great  excitement  by  the  news  from  the  Crimea.  The  landing 
of  the  troops,  as  well  as  the  preparations  made  for  it,  are  so 
graphically  told  in  all  the  newspapers,  that  there  is  nothing  left 
for  me  to  tell  you.  ...  I  fear  the  false  rumour  of  the  taking  of 
Sebastopol  must  have  been  brought  out  to  you  by  the  last  mail ; 
we  are  now  expecting  to  hear  of  it  in  a  day  or  two — the  news  will 
probably  arrive  in  time  for  this  mail.  You  will  see  that  Sir  W. 
Young  was  killed  in  the  23rd,  which  suffered  more  than  any  other 
regiment;  it  must  be  a  very  heavy  blow  to  his  mother.  His 
brother  is,  I  believe,  out  with  the  Artillery,  which  must  make  her 
more  anxious.  I  have  not  heard  of  the  death  of  any  one  else 
whom  I  know,  but  the  loss  in  officers  has  been  very  great.  .  .  . 
We  are  going  on  quietly  here,  yet  with  a  little  trouble  now  and 

then  from  our  agitating  friend,  ,  who  behaved  very  improperly 

in  church  last  Sunday,  for  which  he  had  to  apologize.  I  fear  Deni- 
son's  trial  must  come  on.  I  hope  to  send  you  a  form  of  prayer 
to  be  privately  used  on  the  subject,  which  you  might  give  to  any 
who  are  really  interested  about  it ;  only  it  is  not  a  subject  to  be 
discussed  too  freely  in  your  position.  I  trust  the  gambling  pro- 
pensities, which  were  so  rife  among  your  fellow-passengers,  are  not 
indulged  in  to  the  same  extent  in  the  West  Indies.  At  least  you 
will  have  the  satisfaction  of  leading  a  collegiate  life,  which  will 
keep  you  from  having  to  do  with  such  people.  I  have  no  doubt 
the  hot  weather  has  a  bad  effect  in  this  way  on  many,  enervating 
their  minds,  and  laying  them  more  easily  open  to  temptations. 

We  are  just  commencing  a  branch  of  the  Guild  of  St.  Alban 
in  this  district ;  I  trust  it  may  be  of  great  service  to  us  in  binding 
together,  by  a  more  religious  tie,  many  young  men  who  are 
anxious  to  serve  the  Church  according  to  their  opportunities.  .  .  . 
With  my  sincere  prayers  for  your  health  and  spiritual  welfare, 
believe  me, 

Your  very  affectionate  brother, 

Charles. 


LETTER  TO  WILLIAM  LOWDER. 


69 


St.  Barnabas'  College,  December  i,  1854. 

My  dear  Willy, 

I  have  heard  of  you,  though  not  from  you,  as  your 
letters  have  been  constantly  forwarded.  I  am  sorry  to  find  that 
you  have  not  yet  become  reconciled  to  the  climate  and  annoy- 
ances which  you  must  of  course  expect.  I  trust,  however,  that 
time,  and  the  interest  which  I  hope  you  will  find  in  your  new 
duties,  will  enable  you  to  bear  patiently  what  might  otherwise 
seem  unbearable.  Make  up  your  mind  to  it  as  a  point  of  duty, 
and  then  doubtless  you  will  have  more  strength  than  you  would 
have  supposed. 

As  to  climate,  just  think  of  our  soldiers  at  present  in  the 
Crimea,  and  how  much  officers  brought  up  delicately  have  to 
endure,  and  that  will  be  a  great  help ;  I  find  it  is  so  with  myself 
whenever  I  am  tempted  to  complain. 

The  war  gives  us  a  gi-eat  deal  of  anxiety  just  now,  especially 
when  it  seems  that  the  weather  is  putting  a  stop  to  the  siege 
operations.    They  will  have  a  hard  time  during  the  winter,  and 
there  will  be  need  of  very  large  reinforcements  to  give  reasonable 
hopes  of  success.     We  expect  a  very  trying  winter  in  England,  as 
the  war  is  raising  the  price  of  provisions,  and  there  is  very  little 
work  going  on.    You  will  have  heard  that  Lady  Young  has  lost 
'  both  her  sons,  William  at  Alma,  and  the  other  from  cholera  at 
Balaclava.    It  is  quite  wonderful  how  rapidly  recruiting  is  going 
on,  so  that  the  losses  in  the  army  will  soon  be  made  up,  and 
probably  many  new  regiments  raised  from  volunteers  out  of  the 
Militia.  ...  As  to  home  news,  I  mean  from  St.  Barnabas',  I  have 
'  not  much  to  tell  you,  as  we  are  going  on  quietly.  Skinner  is  away, 
■  spending  the  winter  in  Egypt  ]  he  was  last  heard  of  from  Alexan- 
dria, after  a  very  bad  passage.    There  have  been  some  heavy 
:  storms  in  the  East  lately,  in  one  of  which  several  transports  were 
:  lost  in  the  Black  Sea — a  sad  loss  to  our  troops  in  the  Crimea,  who 
require  every  possible  addition  to  their  comfort.  .  .  . 

 called  a  short  time  ago,  but  I  was  out  of  town  at  the 

time,  on  a  visit  to  Sir  Frederick  Ouseley  at  Langley.  He  is  now 
building  a  church  and  college  at  Tenbury  in  Worcestershire.  The 


70 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


Bishop  of  Hereford  allows  him  to  do  almost  all  that  he  wishes, 
and,  amusing  enough,  hoped  that  he  would  have  Gregorians,  as 
he  said  he  had  persuaded  his  son  in  his  own  church.  Ouseley  is 
a  great  anti-Gregorian.  .  .  .  God  bless  you,  and  guard  you  in  His 
keeping,  and  enable  you  to  do  your  duty  in  the  state  of  life  in 
which  He  has  placed  you,  is  the  sincere  prayer  of 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

C.  F.  L. 

My  DEAR  Willy,  ^°^^"Se,  February  i6,  1855. 

I  received  your  letter  before  the  last  mail  went  out, 
but  had  no  leisure  to  answer  it  as  I  could  wish,  and  indeed  now 
you  must  excuse  any  want  of  clearness  from  the  pressure  of  other 
work.  I  feel  very  happy  at  the  thought  of  your  course  having 
been  so  far  prosperous,  and  that  you  seem  to  have  been  led  on 
towards  the  attainment  of  the  object  for  which  you  went  out.  I 
quite  sympathize  with  you  in  the  difficulties  which  you  feel  under 
the  Bishop's  roof;  but  I  think,  if  with  openness  and  straightforward- 
ness you  combine  that  modesty  which  becomes  a  young  man  in 
stating  his  opinion  on  all  points,  especially  doctrine,  before  a 
Bishop,  you  need  not  compromise  either  your  conscience  or  your 
prospects. 

With  respect  to  your  preparation  for  Holy  Orders,  the  books 
you  mention  will  be  very  useful  to  you.  You  should  certainly 
read  Hooker's  fifth  book,  as  most  valuable  on  the  ecclesiastical 
system,  sacraments  and  ceremonies.  With  respect  to  the  Holy 
Communion,  the  nearer  you  keep  to  the  words  of  Holy  Scripture 
and  the  formularies,  as  well  as  of  some  of  our  soundest  divines, 
the  better.  Wilberforce's  book  has  been  most  valuable,  however 
much  we  may  lament  his  defection ;  and  if  you  found  any  account 
of  your  belief  you  may  be  called  upon  to  give,  on  our  Lord's 
own  words,  "  This  is  My  Body,"  "  This  is  My  Blood,"  not  pre- 
tending to  explain  how  it  is  His  Body  or  His  Blood,  either  by 
transubstantiation  or  consubstantiation,  or  any  other  substantia- 
tion, but  as  being  so  "  verily  and  indeed "  in  a  supernatural 


WARNINGS  AND  ADVICE. 


71 


manner,  beyond  our  comprehension,  explaining  that  tlie  spiritual 
benefits  accrue  only  to  the  faithful,  whereas  the  ungodly  receive 
the  Sacrament  to  their  condemnation,  I  do  not  think  your  views 
can  justly  be  questioned. 

But  the  less  we  attempt  to  dogmatize  on  the  manner  of 
Presence,  so  long  as  we  really  believe  it,  or  on  that  which  the 
ungodly  receive,  as  Denison,  I  think  the  better,  in  the  present  state 
of  things.  The  truth  is  rather  learnt  through  prayer  and  holiness 
of  life,  and  we  must  especially  guard  against  the  sacramental 
system  blinding  us  to  our  need  of  a  heartfelt  loving  religion,  or  of 
a  change  of  heart  towards  God.  The  Sacraments  are  means 
towards  an  end,  and  they  are  necessary  to  salvation,  but  we  must 
not  rest  on  them  as  the  end ;  and  there  is  the  greatest  danger  lest 
we  should  forget  the  need  of  personal  holiness,  either  in  our  own 
lives  or  in  our  teaching. 

I  fear  there  are  many  persons  very  reverent  in  outward  be- 
haviour, very  constant  in  their  attendance  on  the  ordinances  of 
religion,  frequent  at  Holy  Communion  and  daily  service,  and 
regular  in  private  prayer,  who  yet  have  not  that  experience  of 
peace  and  comfort,  and  joy  in  believing,  which  we  may  hope  and 
trust  for,  because  they  do  not  seek  Jesus  Christ  as  the  end  and 
object  of  their  prayers,  and  strive  after  that  love  for  Him  which 
can  alone  satisfy  our  souls. 

I  would  therefore  recommend  your  reading  such  books  as 
Thomas  h.  Kempis,  or  Sutton's  "  Meditations,"  and  giving  some 
time  daily,  besides  your  morning  and  evening  prayers,  to  prayer 
and  meditation,  especially  in  reference  to  our  ordination ;  the 
morning  is  always  the  best  and  quietest,  and  I  should  think 
the  warm  climate  which  unfits  you  for  violent  exercise  would 
be  favourable  for  quiet  and  contemplation.  You  need  not  doubt 
being  remembered  in  my  prayers,  that  you  may  be  guided  by 
God's  Holy  Spirit  to  an  earnest  and  painful  discharge  of  your 
duties,  and  that  if  it  pleases  the  Lord  Jesus  to  call'  you  to  the 
ministry  of  His  flock,  you  may  be  a  good  and  loving  shepherd  of 
the  sheep  for  your  own  and  their  salvation. 


72 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


I  saw  Mr.  Butterfield  yesterday.  He  made  particular  enquiries 
for  you,  and  was  very  glad  to  hear  that  you  were  putting  your 
talents  to  a  good  account  in  the  way  of  architecture,  or  rather 
building ;  he  thought  you  would  find  it  very  useful  in  the  colonj'. 
He  hoped  very  much  to  hear  from  you. 

We  are  now  in  some  anxiety  in  consequence  of  Westerton's 
bringing  an  action  in  the  Consistory  Court  to  remove  our  altar, 
credence,  screen,  etc.,  but  I  trust  it  will  all  be  for  the  best,  and 
that  this  may  be  the  means  of  settling  the  disputes  on  these 

subjects  We  have  some  young  members  of  the  Guild  of 

St.  Alban's  who  are  working  the  night  school  and  lending  library, 
and  assisting  us  in  other  ways.  I  trust  they  will  be  a  great  help 
to  us  in  time  ;  it  gives  a  definiteness  and  regularity  to  their  work. 

We  have  been  suffering  from  a  long  and  very  severe  frost ;  it 
was  prophesied  to  last  six  weeks,  and  it  will  have  been  five  weeks 
to-morrow.  The  crowds  on  the  ice  have  been  very  great,  and  a 
captain  in  the  Guards  drove  on  a  sledge  the  other  da)'. 

 ,  about  whom  you  must  have  heard  as  giving  us  so  much 

trouble,  is  in  prison  for  fraud  :  he  has  been  going  on  in  a  dread- 
ful way,  poor  fellow  !  I  believe  he  is  mad,  but  he  has  done  a 
great  deal  of  mischief 

And  now,  my  dear  Willy,  I  must  bring  my  letter  to  a  con- 
clusion, and  with  every  prayer  for  your  future  welfare,  and  that 
God's  blessing  may  attend  your  labours  and  studies,  believe  me, 
Your  very  affectionate  brother, 

Charles. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

MISSION  TO  ST.  GEORGE'S-IN-THE-EAST. 
1856. 

"Who,  not  content  that  former  worth  stand  fast, 
Looks  forward,  persevering  to  the  last, 
From  well  to  better,  daily  self.surpast." 

The  time  had  now  nearly  come  when  Charles  Lewder 
was  to  realize  that  life  of  which  he  had  so  earnestly- 
dreamed  in  his  retirement  at  Yvetot.  The  ship  of  St. 
.Barnabas'  was  finally  gliding  into  smooth  water;  and  the 
brother  priests  who  since  185 1  had  together  striven  to 
steer  her  through  the  storm,  were  called  to  leave  her  about 
the  same  time. 

By  the  end  of  1856  the  question  of  internal  authority 
was  settled,  though  it  was  not  the  will  of  God  that  the 
men  who  contended  for  it  should  continue  to  reap  its  fruits. 

One  thing  we  are  all  agreed  upon  (Mr.  Liddell  wrote  in 
October,  1856,  to  the  Senior  Curate),  that  it  is  headship  and  local 
supervision  which  St.  Barnabas'  wants.  It  pains  me  most  deeply 
to  add  that  I,  more  and  more,  fear  this  is  what  you  cannot  give 
it,  from  the  weak  and  broken  state  of  your  liealth,  which  it  seems 
to  me  must  impose  upon  you  entire  absence,  or  preclude  you,  if 
present,  from  leading  and  taking  the  labouring  oar  in  the  pastoral 


74 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


and  miaisterial  work.  And  this  evil  will  not  be  mitigated  by  a 
fifth  or  sixth  man,  even  if  we  could  supply  them,  because  he 
v.'ould  be  subordinate  to,  or  equal  with,  the  men  already  there; 
whereas  the  admitted  want  is  a  man  -with  capacity  to  lead. 

Influential  friends,  such  as  Bishop  Wilberforce  and 
Dr.  Pusey,  had  strongly  advised  Mr.  Skinner  to  hold  on 
at  his  post,  even  if  he  could  only  give  the  help  of  a  general 
superintendence.  But  the  imperative  orders  of  his  medical 
advisers  forced  him  at  length  to  give  up  his  home,  and  the 
work  to  which  for  five  years  he  had  been  devoted.  "  You 
yourself,"  Mr.  Liddell  wrote,  November  7,  1856,  "know 
how  I  had  anticipated  availing  myself  of  your  services  at 
St.  Barnabas' ;  but,  disabled  as  you  are  by  the  Sovereign 
Will  of  God,  I  must  bow  my  head,  and  seek  for  another 
coadjutor." 

Of  this  time  Charles  Lowder  wrote  : — 

Five  years  in  St.  Barnabas'  only  proved  what  might  be  done 
among  the  poor  in  London,  and  gave  time  to  reflect  on  how  much 
remained  to  be  accomplished. 

It  was  so  ordered  also,  by  God's  good  providence,  that  a 
society  of  priests  had  lately  been  founded  in  London,  called  the 
Society  of  the  Holy  Cross.  Its  objects  are  to  defend  and  strengthen 
the  spiritual  life  of  the  clergy,  to  defend  the  faith  of  the  Church, 
and  to  carry  on  and  aid  ISIission  work  both  at  home  and  abroad. 
The  members  of  this  society,  meeting  together  as  they  did  in 
prayer  and  conference,  were  deeply  impressed  with  the  evils 
existing  in  the  Church,  and  saw  also,  in  the  remedies  adopted  by 
St.  Vincent  de  Paul,  the  hope  of  lessening  them.  They  all  felt 
that  the  ordinary  parochial  equipment  of  a  rector  and  curate,  or 
perhaps  a  solitary  incumbent,  provided  for  thousands  of  perish- 
ing souls,  was  most  sadly  inadequate  ;  that,  in  the  presence  of 
such  utter  destitution,  it  was  simply  childish  to  act  as  if  the 


MR.  KING'S  invitation: 


75 


Church  were  recognized  as  the  mother  of  the  people.  She  must 
assume  a  missionary  character,  and,  by  reHgious  association  and  a 
new  adaptation  of  Catholic  practice  to  the  altered  circumstances 
of  the  nineteenth  century  and  the  peculiar  wants  of  the  English 
character,  endeavour,  with  fresh  life  and  energy,  to  stem  the 
prevailing  tide  of  sin  and  indifference. 

Whilst  this  small  society  of  earnest  priests  was  thus 
desirous  of  attempting  some  missionary  enterprise  in 
addition  to  their  own  duties,  there  was  in  the  East  of 
London  a  priest,  the  Rev.  Bryan  King,  Rector  of  St. 
George's,  who,  almost  unaided,  in  nominal  charge  of  thirty 
thousand  souls,  had  for  a  long  time  anxiously  looked  and 
longed  and  prayed  for  help  from  others  to  make  some 
religious  impression  upon  the  masses  of  heathen  souls 
committed  to  his  care. 

I  had  been  more  than  usually  oppressed  (he  writes)  by  the 
hopelessness  of  my  position,  the  leader  of  a  forlorn  hope  indeed, 
during  the  Advent  season  of  1855,  when,  in  the  ensuing  season 
of  Christmas,  the  Rector  of  the  adjoining  parish  of  St.  Paul's, 
Shadwell,  conveyed  to  me  the  glitd  tidings  that  a  band  of  clergy 
in  the  west  of  London  were  looking  out  for  a  suitable  sphere  for 
the  experiment  of  a  preaching  Mission,  and  that  the  Rev.  F.  H. 
Murray,  the  Rector  of  Chislehurst,  was  in  some  way  connected 
with  the  clergy  in  question. 

Upon  this  information,  which  had  been  derived  from  Mr. 
Thomas  Charrington,  a  resident  of  Chislehurst  and  the  conductor 
of  an  extensive  business  in  Shadwell,  I  immediately  wrote  to 
Mr.  Murray,  offering  a  warm  welcome  to  such  an  agency  in  my 
parish  of  St.  George's  East. 

The  Rector  of  Chislehurst  was  one  of  the  first  members 
of  the  Society  of  the  Holy  Cross,  and  he  had  mentioned 


76 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


to  Mr.  Charrington,  who  was  his  churchwarden,  his  own  and 
his  brethren's  desire  to  find  some  sphere  in  which  to  bring 
their  plans  for  Mission  work  to  the  test  of  experience. 

At  first  Httle  more  was  contemplated  than  a  preaching 
Mission,  for  they  all  had  their  own  parochial  duties,  and 
could  give  but  little  time  to  anything  else.  St.  George's-in- 
the-East  was  to  them  a  terra  incognita,  and  one  member  of 
the  society  was  despatched  on  a  voyage  of  discovery. 

The  result  was  that  on  the  evening  of  Ash  Wednesday, 
1856,  Charles  Lowder  and  the  Rev.  Newton  Smith  went 
to  Mr.  King's  rectory,  from  whence,  with  two  or  three 
members  of  the  choir,  they  walked  to  a  room  in  a  court 
leading  out  of  Ratclifif  Highway,  which  had  been  used  by  Mr. 
King  for  a  Sunday  school.  Here  an  old  servant,  who  still 
serves  the  Mission,  rang  a  bell  at  the  entrance  to  the  court, 
and  a  few  v/ere  gathered  together.  Her  account  of  them 
is  that  they  were  mostly,  if  not  entirely,  of  the  respectable 
and  religiously  disposed  sort,  who  already  went  to  church 
when  they  could.  This  went  on  for  a  fortnight,  two  clergy 
going  there  three  times  a  week.  Among  the  first  were  the 
Rev.  G.  Cosby  White  and  the  Rev.  Francis  Murray. 

It  does  not  appear  that  at  this  time  Charles  Lowder 
contemplated  taking  charge  of  the  Mission,  or  any  more 
prominent  part  than  others  in  working  it.  The  following 
letters  to  his  mother,  written  during  Lent  and  Easter  week 
of  1856,  contain  mention  of  the  undertaking,  of  which  his 
heart  was  evidently  full,  but  none  of  any  severance  from 
St.  Barnabas' : — 

St.  Barnabas'  College,  February  25,  1856. 
I  write  to  let  you  know  that  I  returned  to  St.  Barnabas'  on 
Thursday  night,  having  spent  four  happy  days  with  a  few  other 


LETTER  TO  MRS.  LOWDER. 


77 


clergy  in  quiet  and  retirement  at  Chislehurst.  It  gives  one  great 
strength  for  one's  duties  at  this  season.  .  .  .  Our  service  at  5.30 
is  progressing ;  we  had  more  working-men  yesterday.  The  Mission 
at  St.  George's  will,  I  hope,  succeed  in  time.  ...  I  hope  you  will 
all  say  the  third  collect  for  Good  Friday  daily,  for  the  success  of 
the  Mission  at  St.  George's-in-the-East. 

St.  Barnabas'  College,  Saturday  morning,  1856. 
You  must  not  think  because  you  did  not  hear  from  me  on 
j  Saturday  last  that  I  had  forgotten  Mothering  Sunday,*  but  the 
1  truth  was  I  was  so  busy  preparing  for  the  meetings,  which  I  ha.ve 
been  holding  daily,  and  sometimes  twice  a  day,  with  the  people  of 
my  district,  for  prayer  and  singing  and  instruction,  that  I  had  not 
time  to  get  the  cake,  so  I  thought  it  had  better  be  kept  till  the 
i  Octave,  and  sent  it  to-day.    I  trast  you  have  received  it  ere  this, 
1  and  will  believe  it  is  not  a  mere  form,  but  a  remembrance  of  the 
love  and  duty  which  one  who  wishes  he  were  a  more  loving  and 
dutiful  son  desires  to  offer  to  you.    I  trust  the  present  may  prove 
I  as  sweet  as  the  pleasure  of  sending  it. 

I  have  spent  a  very  happy  week  in  constant  meetings  with  my 
people,  who  seem  to  have  appreciated  the  opportunity  of  spending 
one  week  specially  in  religious  duties.    I  have  been  speaking  to 
them  of  the  Christian  life,  first  in  the  heart,  then  in  the  Christian 
family,  then  in  the  world,  in  doing  good  to  their  neighbours,  in 
church,  in  sickness  and  death ;  and  to-morrow  I  conclude  with  tlic 
Christian  in  heaven.     It  has  brought  me  in  contact  with  many 
I  whom  I  had  in  vain  striven  to  win  before,  and  it  has  been  very 
I  delightful  to  see  how  regular  some  have  been  in  daily  or  even 
more  constant  attendance.   I  trust  it  will  help  to  prepare  us  all  for 
I  Easter.  .  .  . 

We  are  making  progress  with  the  Mission,  and  are  hoping  to 
plant  two  clergy  there  to  take  charge  of  it,  and  are  preparing  to 

*  Mid-Lent  Sunday.    There  is  a  Devonshire  custom  that  absent  children 

I should  on  this  Sunday  send  a  cake  to  their  moth-er,  a  custom  which  Charles 
Lewder  seems  always  to  have  observed. 


78 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


collect  funds.  ...  If  I  give  up  the  Guardian  will  you  be  able 
to  send  one  to  Willy?  I  should  like  to  know  before  I  settle 
to  do  so. 

March  26,  1856. 

I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  your  letter  received  this 
morning,  especially  as  I  fear  you  wrote  it  amidst  many  other 
occupations.  I  had  wished  to  have  written  before,  to  say  how 
sincerely  I  have  prayed  that  you  might  receive  all  spiritual 
blessings  at  this  happy  season.  I  am  glad  you  have  enjoyed  the 
privilege  of  having  its  joy  brought  out  in  the  services  in  Church, 
for  thus  we  can  really  rejoice  together.  We  have  had  a  very 
delightful  Easter,  more  so  than  any  I  have  spent  here  before.  The 
greatest  comfort  of  all  was  the  large  number  of  communicants  ; 
there  were  two  hundred  and  seventy  at  the  early  Communion  at 
seven,  a  great  number  of  them  poor,  and  two  hundred  at  midday. 
It  was  a  beautiful  sight  in  the  early  morning,  the  procession  chant- 
ing the  hundred  and  eighteenth  Psalm  up  the  aisle,  and,  as  it 
happened,  we  came  to  the  nineteenth  and  twentieth  verses  as  we 
entered  the  chancel  gates.  The  church  was,  of  course,  nicely 
decorated  with  flowers.  And  then  to  find  so  many  prepared,  at  so 
early  an  hour,  for  Holy  Communion  was  very  comforting.  It  was 
far  more  than  a  recompence  for  one's  labours  in  preparing  them 
during  Lent.  I  had  seen  about  fifty  or  sixty  of  them  privately, 
one  by  one,  during  the  last  fortnight  of  Lent,  besides  hearing  a 
great  many  confessions.  Our  congregations  during  the  rest  of  the 
day  were  very  large — in  the  evening  more  crowded  than  I  had 
ever  seen  before  ;  very  many  obliged  to  go  away  for  want  of  room, 
and  persons  standing  close  in  all  the  aisles.  I  am  happy  to  say  I 
have  stood  my  work  very  well,  and  though,  of  course,  feeling  tired 
now,  yet  after  a  little  rest  shall  be  able  to  get  on  for  the  confirma- 
tion at  the  end  of  next  month. 

We  have  not  succeeded  in  getting  rid  of  Westerton.  My  love 
to  my  sisters,  and  believe  me, 

Your  dutiful  and  affectionate  son, 
Charles. 


EARLY  MISSION  WORl^. 


P.S. — My  love  to  Janey,*  and  tell  her  how  sorry  I  am  to  hear 
of  her  illness. 

The  Mission  scheme  had  now  been  brought  before 
Bishop  Blomfield,  and  Mr.  King  wrote  in  April  to  Charles 
Lowder : — 

I  enclose  you  the  very  gratifying  reply  of  Mr.  Green  to  my 
request.  I  think  we  might  well  append  to  our  statement  some- 
thing to  this  effect : — 

"  The  Bishop  of  the  diocese  has  expressed  his  approval  of  the 
above  scheme,  and  has  promised  a  contribution  towards  it  for  the 
next  five  years,  should  it  please  God  to  spare  his  life  so  long." 

My  dear  Mr.  King,  ^P"'  5. 1856. 

The  Bishop  of  London,  to  whom  I  have  read  the 
paper  respecting  your  proposed  Home  Mission,  directs  me  to  in- 
form you  that  he  approves  of  the  scheme,  and  is  ready,  should 
it  please  God  to  spare  him,  to  contribute  ;^io  a  year  for  five 
years  towards  the  carrying  of  it  out.  Praying  God  to  prosper  you, 
I  remain,  yours  veiy  truly, 

T.  K.  Green, 

Chaplain. 

The  operations  of  the  Mission  were,  after  the  first  fort- 
night, removed  to  one  of  the  worst  lanes  in  the  parish. 
Lower  Well  Alley,t  near  the  Thames,  in  the  cottage  of  a 
poor  woman  whose  husband  was  at  sea. 

*  His  old  nurse,  who  for  fifty  years  had  lived  with  different  members  of 
(lis  family.  She  entered  his  father's  service  when  Charles  was  an  infant,  and 
remained  until  her  death,  a  beloved  family  friend.  When  Mr.  Lowder  lost  his 
fortune  she  at  once  drew loo  from  her  earnings  in  the  savings'  bank,  and  gave 
it  to  Mrs.  Lowder,  not  knowing  if  it  would  ever  be  returned.  She  refused  to 
leave  them,  though  they  could  no  longer  give  her  wages,  but  worked  as  hard 
as  ever  to  the  end  for  love  of  them. 

t  It  is  now  the  centre  of  the  parish  of  St.  Peter's,  London  Docks  Mr. 


8o 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


She  herself  was  just  confined  (Charles  wrote),  and  unable 
to  take  much  part  in  our  arrangements,  or  otherwise  to  secure 
order  than  by  expostulating  with  disturbers  from  the  top  of  the 
stairs.  And  disturbance  certainly  there  was ;  for  as  soon  as  the 
hymn,  which  was  sung  in  the  alley,  the  better  to  collect  a  congre- 
gation, was  commenced,  a  violent  opposition  was  displayed  by 
the  Irish,  who  swarmed  in  the  houses  around,  and  on  the  first 
evening  interrupted  and  almost  frustrated  all  attempts  at  preach- 
ing by  their  clamour  and  violence.  Many  dangerous  missiles  were 
thrown ;  for  as  the  court  was  paved,  and  so  no  loose  stones  came 
to  hand,  they  soon  sacrificed  a  large  beer  pitcher,  whose  fragments 
were  hurled  at  our  heads.  An  attempt  also  was  made  to  catechize 
us  as  to  our  acquaintance  with  the  Latin  of  the  Nicene  Creed. 

After  about  a  fortnight  of  more  or  less  energetic  dis- 
turbance, the  missioners  were  left  in  peace  by  the  Irish, 
and  the  baptism  of  a  sick  child  was  among  the  first  fruits 
of  their  work.  But  the  longer  they  worked,  the  more 
they  felt  that  little  good  result  could  be  obtained  from 
desultory  efforts,  and  that  some  regular  and  local  agency 
must  be  established.  "  Scarcely  any  impression,"  Mr.  Bryan 
King  said,  "seemed  to  be  made  upon  the  people,  so  that 
one,  if  not  more,  of  those  clergy  who  had  joined  the  work 
at  first,  now  gave  up  the  attempt  on  account  of  its  apparent 
hopelessness.  It  was  under  these  circumstances  that  a 
member  of  my  family  said  to  Mr.  Lowder,  'Oh,  I  hope 
and  trust,  Mr.  Lowder,  that  you  will  not  be  disheartened 
and  induced  to  give  up  the  work,'  when  he  replied,  'No, 
you  need  not  fear  that ;  it  would  take  a  great  deal  to 
dishearten  me.' " 

King  writes  :  "I  was  struck  with  the  great  improvement  of  the  outward  aspect 
of  this  court  as  I  walked  through  it  on  the  day  before  Mr.  Lowder's  funeral 
after  landing  at  the  Tunnel  pier." 


THE  MISSION  HOUSE. 


8i 


In  Calvert  Street,  a  small  street  running  out  of  Old 
Gravel  Lane,  and  about  five  minutes'  walk  from  the  river, 
there  is  an  old  and  tolerably  large  house,  ugly  beyond 
description,  but  possessing  the  advantage  of  standing  in 
what  was  by  courtesy  called  "  a  garden."  The  wall  of  this 
enclosed  space  forms  one  side  of  the  street,  the  house  itself 
being  part  of  the  wall.  The  line  of  the  window-sills,  which 
have  given  way  considerably,  show  how  bad  and  insecure 
are  the  foundations.  There  are  two  entrances  to  the  house, 
one  at  each  end,  reached  by  a  steep  little  flight  of  steps, 
and  admittance  is  gained  from  the  street  by  two  grimy 
doors  in  the  blank  wall. 

This  house  was  vacant  at  the  time  when  the  band  of 
missioners  determined  to  offer  to  the  Rector  of  the  parish 
the  services  of  a  curate  to  live  amongst  the  poor,  although 
doubting  whether  they  could  raise  £100  a  year  for  the 
purpose.  The  venture  was  made,  a  clergyman  of  some 
experience  in  missionary  work  was  chosen  and  approved 
by  the  Rector,  and  the  house  in  Calvert  Street  was  secured 
as  his  residence.  It  has  been  occupied  by  the  Mission  ever 
since  ;  being  now  divided  into  two  houses,  one  occupied  by 
the  clergy  of  St.  Peter's,  the  other  by  the  Sisters. 

Mr.  King  has  kindly  supplied  some  account  of  the 
beginning  of  the  Mission  ;  of  this  time  he  writes  : — 

The  missionary  priest  was  most  zealous  and  devoted  to  his. 
work,  but  he  was  young  and  somewhat  erratic.  His  ecclesiastical 
position  was  that  of  a  Hcensed  assistant  curate  of  the  parish 
church ;  that  position,  however,  was  little  more  than  nominal.  It 
h'as  neither  practicable  nor  desirable  that  I  should  exercise  more 
than  a  very  general  control  over  a  work  which  was  of  the  nature 
01  an  experiment,  and  one  in  whicli  I  myself  had  had  no  experience ; 


82 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


and  yet,  in  spite  of  this,  I  could  not  of  course  divest  myself  of  all 
responsibility,  still  less  could  I  exonerate  myself  from  all  the 
consequences  of  any  acts  of  indiscretion  which  might  be  committed 
by  one  who  was  in  fact  my  own  representative  in  all  his  ministerial 
work. 

And  hence  it  was  that  I  wrote  to  Mr.  Lowder,  representing  to 
him  that  the  Mission  had  now  assumed  the  character  of  a  per- 
manent work,  and  that  it  was  essential  that  it  should  be  placed  under 
a  responsible  head,  to  whose  charge  I  might  commit  a  conventional 
district  of  my  parish. 

From  all  that  I  had  seen  and  known  of  him,  I  had  the  most 
implicit  confidence  not  only  in  his  self-denying  zeal,  but  also  in 
his  sobriety  and  discretion ;  and  I  may  with  perfect  truth  assert 
that  never  since  he  accepted  my  proposal  did  the  conduct  of  the 
St.  George's  Mission  cost  me  a  moment's  anxiety,  nor  ever,  so  far 
as  I  now  remember,  did  any  cause  of  difference  or  even  of  dis- 
cussion arise  between  Mr.  Lowder  and  myself  respecting  it. 

Here  are  Mr.  King's  letters,  asking  Mr.  Lowder  to  take 
charge  of  the  Mission  : — 

Rectory,  St.  George's  East,  Rogation  Tuesday  (April  29,  1856). 

.  .  .  Now,  upon  the  commencement  of  our  scheme  (for  I  am 
perfectly  certain  that  we  are  only  commencing),  it  is  necessary 
that  we  should  fix  the  principle,  and,  so  far,  the  precise  system  upon 
which  this  Mission  is  to  be  based  and  carried  on. 

We  begin,  then,  with  two  clergymen  and  two  districts.  It 
seems  to  me  to  be  quite  out  of  the  question  that  these  two  (and 
the  other  six  or  eight  to  follow)  should  lodge  each  apart  in  his 
own  district.  In  this  there  is  no  provision  for  unity,  co-operation, 
sympathy,  etc.  But  over  and  above  this  objection  there  is  no 
provision  in  it  for  the  discharge  of  my  responsibility  through  the 
missionaries.  By  the  ordinance  of  Christ  Jesus  in  His  Church, 
the  paramount  cure  of  the  souls  of  this  parish  is  vested  in  my 
(most  unworthy)  hands.    And  the  ecclesiastical  position  of  the 


MR.  KING'S  LETTER. 


83 


missionaries  will  be — assistant  curates  of  the  parish  church ;  nay 
(as  you  are  aware),  I  shall  be  amenable  to  the  law  for  any 
ecclesiastical  offence  into  which  any  of  them  may  fall.  Our 
system,  then,  must  be  based  upon  these  fundamental  principles  of 
the  Church. 

But  then,  when  the  missionaries  are  not  living  under  the  same 
roof  with  me,  I  can  only  exercise  a  very  general  and  indirect  con- 
trol. The  necessity  of  the  case  seems  to  me  to  require  that  there 
should  be  some  clergyman  intimately  associated  with  myself  in 
the  duties  of  the  parish  church,  who  yet  should  preside  over  the 
Mission  House,  and  exercise  a  general  (though  of  course  most 
delicate)  superintendence  over  the  members  of  the  Mission.  Now, 
two  months  ago  I  was  unable  (I  now  believe  providentially)  to  fill 
Mr.  de  Burgh's  place  at  the  parish  church ;  that  place  is  yet 
vacant  (Mr.  Richards  being  a  temporary  occupant  of  it). 

Will  yoic  come  and  occupy  this  post,  with  the  superintendence 
of  the  Mission  House  ? 

You  seem  to  me  to  be  the  one  7nan  wanted.  You  would  have 
in  such  a  post  the  entire  confidence  both  of  myself  and  of  the 
members  of  the  Mission,  and  you  are  the  only  man  to  whom  I 
can  look,  as  Mr.  NichoU  is  evidently  not  sufficiently  robust  for  the 
duties  of  my  very  large  church. 

You  will  see  that  the  system  which  I  suggest  for  our  Mission  is 
no  new  and  untried  one  ;  it  is  precisely  that  which  has  worked  so 
well  in  all  our  colleges  for  centuries,  where  we  have  a  general 
Head,  and  a  Vice  or  deputy  living  with  the  Fellows  and 
exercising  superintendence. 

Notivithstanding  Mr.  NichoU's  views  (and  I  had  a  short 
talk  with  him  on  the  subject  last  evening),  I  still  think  that 
we  could  not  do  better  than  take  the  (comparatively)  large  house 
which  I  spoke  to  you  of  before.  It,  and  the  one  which  adjoins  it, 
are  the  only  houses  in  the  whole  district  which  could  accom- 
modate four  or  five  clergymen.  It  is  close  to  our  present  field  of 
labour,  and  it  is  a  respectable  house.  I  think  we  should  do  wrong 
to  take  a  house  which  did  not  admit  of  the  expansion  of  our  work 


84 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


in  six  or  twelve  months'  time,  and  I  know  of  no  other  house  in 
the  neighbourhood  which  would  admit  of  this. 

Then  we  should  very  probably  find  that  a  commercial  day 
school  for  the  sons  of  the  small  shopkeepers  (Woodard's  lower 
middle  class)  would  answer  well  in  the  house  (twenty  such  boys 
would  cover  the  support  of  another  priest  to  conduct  the  school). 
This,  I  believe,  would  be  as  great  a  blessing  as  any  branch  of  the 
Mission,  and  would,  by  God's  blessing,  bring  the  parents  to  the 
Mission  services,  and  for  this  obviously  a  respectable  house  is 
essential. 

Then  the  house  in  question  is  let  at  a  veiy  moderate  rent,  the 
rent  being  ^^35  per  annum,  and  the  taxes  ;Q\2  in  addition.  If 
we  allow  this  house  to  pass  out  of  our  hands  (it  will  be  vacant 
next  quarter  day),  I  fear  we  shall  long  have  cause  to  regret  it. 

My  general  notion  of  the  scheme  for  the  Mission  is  this  : 
The  two  clergymen  to  hold  preachings  two  or  three  evenings  in 
the  week  in  different  courts  of  their  respective  districts ;  then,  as 
they  gain  some  hold  on  the  attendants,  to  say  to  them,  "We 
have  morning  and  evening  service,  and  Sunday  evening  service, 
at  the  Mission  House  :  will  you  come  there  when  you  can  ?  "  then, 
from  that  service,  they  will  be  prepared  for  the  service  and 
sacraments  of  the  Church. 

We  must  try  to  begin  upon  sound  principles,  for,  I  doubt  not, 
our  present  two  will  soon  become  eight  or  ten  missionaries.  Pray 
weigh  well  the  above,  and  specially  the  part  which  concerns  yourself. 

Should  you  entertain  the  proposal,  my  path  (under  God's 
mercy)  will  be  cleared. 

Believe  uae,  yours  very  sincerely, 

Bryan  King. 

Rectory,  St.  George's  East,  May  2,  1856. 
Will  you  kindly  take  with  you  to  Titchfield,  etc.,  to-morrow  a 
packet  of  some  fifty  of  our  circulars  ?  I  wish  to  distribute  them  in 
my  chm-ch  next  Sunday,  collecting  alms  for  the  Mission  on  Whit 
Sunday.  I  shall  not  get  more  than  or  J^fi,  but  I  think  that 
some  of  my  people  may  become  interested  in  the  Mission.  Mr. 


MEANS  OF  SUPPORT. 


85 


John  Knight  will  give  £^io  per  annum  towards  it  (he  already 
gives  me  ;^25  per  a/mum  for  curate's  stipend).  I  enclose  a 
rough  sketch  of  the  lower  part  of  my  parish,  containing  nine 
thousand  souls,  and  well  divisable  into  three  missionary  districts. 
A  modification  of  my  former  plan  occurs  to  me  thus  :  You  come 
and  head  the  IMission  as  one  of  them,  all  the  clergy  of  the 
Mission  officiating  with  me  occasionally  at  the  parish  church  (this 
seems  to  be  essential  on  other  grounds) ;  we  shall  then  begin  mth 
three  clergymen,  instead  of  two,  at  the  Mission.  I  shall  be  able  to 
dispense  with  a  special  brother  curate  with  me  at  my  church, 
and  to  divert  some  £i,o  or  ;£6o  per  anmitn  to  the  support  of  the 
Mission,  which  now  goes  to  my  brother  curate.  I  am  sure  you 
will  take  my  proposal  into  your  serious  consideration.  I  really  do 
not  at  all  see  my  way  to  the  establishment  of  this  Mission  in  my 
parish  unless  you  can  come  and  conduct  it. 

Believe  me,  yours  very  sincerely, 

Bryan  King. 

Rectory,  St.  George's,  Friday  afternoon. 
...  At  Mr.  Hubbard's  request  I  have  just  had  an  interview 
with  him.  He  thinks  he  knows  of  some  two  or  three  clergymen 
who  would  like  to  join  the  Mission.  I  said  that  I  should  prefer 
not  adding  to  our  staff  for  some  few  months,  in  order  to  feel  our 
way. 

The  ;^4o  additional  curate's  grant  was  not  made  for  the  Mis- 
sion, but  for  parish  church,  so  Mr.  Knight's  contribution  must 
stand  at  the  original  ;^io,  instead  of  the  £,2^.  Mr.  Hubbard 
seems  much  interested  in  the  Mission. 

To  his  parents  Charles  wrote  on  receiving  Mr.  King's 
letters  : — 

My  dear  Father,  ^^™^^^s'  College,  May  6,  1856; 

"Will  you  read  first  the  larger  and  then  the  smaller  note 
from  Mr.  King,  enclosed,  and  then  Mr.  Bennett's  letter ;  and  then 
judge  whether  I  can  do  otherwise  than  accept  the  call? 


86 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


Altogether  I  feel  that  our  connection  with  St.  George's  has 
been  very  providential,  and  as  I  have  in  no  way  sought  the  ap- 
pointment, so  I  cannot  but  think  that  the  time  is  come  when  I 
may  have  an  opportunity  of  carrying  out  the  work  which  I  have 
so  long  had  at  heart.  I  pray  that  it  may  be  a  good  work  for  the 
Church ;  my  desire  is  to  make  it  a  thoroughly  Catholic  one,  a 
life  of  poverty,  and  self-denial,  and  dedication  to  God's  service, 
and,  if  it  may  be,  the  revival  of  a  really  religious  order  for  mis- 
sionary  work — men  trained  in  holy  living  for  the  work  of  winning 
souls. 

Dr.  Pusey  and  the  other  members  of  the  Mission  wish  me 
to  go,  and  we  have  had  already  sufficient  promise  of  support  to 
justify  our  commencement.  We  have  about  ;^i3o  or  ;^iSo, 
mostly  annual  subscriptions,  and  Dr.  Pusey  has  about  ;^iSo  or 
p^i6o  at  his  disposal,  which  he  will  give  to  it.  And  this  is  only 
from  the  few  we  have  asked.  .  .  . 

My  duty  to  my  mother  and  love  to  my  sisters,  and  believe  me, 
Your  dutiful  and  affectionate  son, 

Charles. 

P.S. — Please  return  the  enclosed.  Of  course  I  shall  have  to 
arrange  the  details  somewhat  differently.  I  shall  stipulate  for  the 
virtual,  if  not  legal,  freedom  of  the  Mission. 

St.  Barnabas'  College,  May  15,  1856. 

My  dear  Mother, 

...  I  suppose  rny  father  has  told  you  of  the  subject 
of  my  last  letter  to  him,  though  you  do  not  say  anything  about 
it.  Will  you  tell  him  that  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  him  for 
his  kind  letter,  and  that  it  is  a  great  comfort  for  me  to  think  that, 
if  I  am  privileged  to  begin  this  great  work  at  St.  George's,  I  shall 
go  there  with  the  full  sanction  of  both  my  spiritual  and  natural 
fathers. 

I  am  now  arranging  with  Mr.  King  the  position  of  the  Mission 
clergy,  and  negotiating  for  a  house.  I  will  let  you  know  as  soon 
as  that  is  arranged.    I  shall  hope  to  be  at  home  in  July,  so  as  to 


NEGOTIATIONS. 


87 


get  some  rest  before  I  begin  the  work.  ...  I  am  glad  to  hear 
Janey  is  better ;  my  love  to  her. 

Believe  me,  your  dutiful  and  affectionate  son, 

Charles. 

The  letters  which  follow  from  Mr.  King  evidently  deal 
with  Mr.  Lowder's  stipulations  for  "  the  virtual,  if  not  legal 
freedom  of  the  Mission,"  and  are  interesting  as  showing  the 
first  tentative  lines  upon  which  the  experiment  was  made.* 

Rectoiy,  St.  George's  East,  May  14,  1856. 

My  dear  Lowder, 

I  have  not  yet  heard  from  Mr.  Woodbridge,  the  land- 
lord of  our  proposed  house.  My  offertory  last  Sunday  (including 
£^  or  from  friends)  amounted  to  ;Q\2  \2s.  -^d.  ;  then  I  have 
received  information  of  a  grant  of  ;^4o  per  annum  from  Mid- 
summer, from  the  Additional  Curates'  Society,  for  the  parisli 
church.  Very  probably  Mr.  Hubbard  has  obtained  this  for  the 
Mission — at  all  events,  I  think  I  can  appropriate  it  to  that  object; 
then,  as  I  resign  Mr.  Knight's  contribution  to  a  curate's  stipend, 
he  allows  me  to  transfer  this  ^£"25  per  annum  to  the  Mission  (I 
presume  in  lieu  of  his  promised  ;;^io  per  annum).  Pray  let  me 
have  a  list  of  our  present  donations  and  subscriptions,  and  I  will 
apply  to  my  college  for  help.  I  should  like  to  interest  them  in 
the  matter.  We  may  well  be  thinking  of  a  third  member  of  the 
Mission.  Would  NichoU  join  it?  and  has  he  health  for  it?  If 
he  would,  you,  or  rather  we,  should  (d.v.)  form  a  united  and  happy 
family. 

Upon  the  question  of  ecclesiastical  districts  I  do  not  think 
that  I  should  hereafter  object  to  them,  provided  that  on  the 
formation  the  Bishop  would  or  could  withdraw  from  me  my  cure 
of  souls  within  such  districts.  My  deep  objection  to  the  jiresent 
arrangements  of  such  districts  is  this,  that  without  in  the  least 

*  The  answers  to  these  letters  have  been  lost. 


88 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


absolving  the  parish  priest  in  conscience  from  the  responsibility  of 
their  charge,  they  now  only  interpose  obstacles  in  the  way  of  his 
discharge  of  such  responsibilities. 

I  think,  however,  that  you  may  implicitly  rely  upon  my  anxiety 
to  meet  your  wishes  and  those  of  the  other  clergymen  who  may 
join  us,  in  everything  within  my  power,  but  I  confess  that  I  would 
rather  not  anticipate  future  contingencies.  If  we  begin  this  work, 
simply  trusting  (and  confident  as  we  may  be)  that  God  will  take 
charge  of  us  and  it,  shaping  its  direction  for  the  best,  then  He 
will  certainly  take  charge  of  its  success ;  whereas  if  we  forecast, 
and  are  careful  about  the  future,  I  fear  we  shall  find  our  wisdom 
to  be  foolishness. 

Do  not,  dear  Lowder,  suppose  that  in  so  saying  I  am  in  the 
least  blaming  yoii.  I  wish  to  confirm  my  own  faith,  and  I  am 
certain  that  you  will  quite  agree  with  this  principle. 

Rectory,  St.  George's  East,  May  i6,  1856. 
.  .  .  Though  I  fear  I  cannot  acquiesce  in  your  theory  as  to 
the  position  of  the  proposed  Mission  in  this  parish,  I  believe  that 
in  practice  we  should  be  quite  at  one. 

I  am  fully  convinced  of  the  necessity  of  the  members  of  this 
Mission  being  as  free  and  unshackled  as  possible,  i.e.  as  is  com- 
patible with  their  ecclesiastical  position  as  assistant  priests  in  the 
parish,  and  for  that  reason  I  begged  you  to  superintend  it,  because 
I  knew  that,  under  your  superintendence,  any  ordinary  control  or 
interference  on  my  part  would  be  quite  uncalled  for.  I  should 
be  perfectly  ready,  when  circumstances  permitted  it,  to  resign  my 
paramount  cure  of  souls  over  the  districts  into  the  hands  of  the 
Bishop,  with  a  view  to  their  formation  mto  distinct  parishes. 

But  so  far  as  I  understand  your  theory,  it  is  that  the  members 
of  each  Mission  should  be  at  liberty  to  exercise  their  ministry  in 
a  parish  in  entire  ijidependence  of  the  parish  priest.  Now,  such  a 
position  seems  to  me  to  be  almost  as  schismatical  (and  much  more 
fatal  to  the  unity  of  the  Church  in  the  parish)  as  is  the  position 
of  a  Wesleyan  or  any  other  mission.    The  fundamental  constitu- 


MR.  KING'S  RESPONSIBILITY. 


89 


tion  of  the  Church  of  Christ  with  reference  to  its  parochial  dis- 
tribution is  this  :  there  cannot  possibly  be  more  than  one  priest  of 
the  parish  who,  in  the  language  of  the  Canonists,  is  the  Persona 
Ecdesia  Farochialis,  or  Spo?isus  Ecclesics  Farochialis,  any  more 
than  there  can  be  more  than  one  Bishop  of  the  diocese.  In  the 
one  case  there  may  be  suffragan  Bishops,  as  in  the  other  there 
maybe  assistant  priests;  but  anything  like  independent  jurisdic- 
tion in  either  case  is  impossible,  or  absolutely  fatal  to  the  unity 
of  Christ  in  His  Church.  I  cannot  but  feel  strongly,  then,  that 
if  such  Missions  as  we  propose  are  to  be  employed  at  all  in 
the  Church,  they  must  be  constituted  in  harmony  with  the  paro- 
chial systems,  or  rather  mth  the  fundamental  constitution  of  the 
Church  Universal,  and  not  upon  any  scheme  devised  by  you  or 
me.  The  paramount  cure  of  the  souls  of  the  parishioners  of 
this  parish,  which  I  received  on  my  knees  from  the  Bishop  of 
this  diocese  at  my  institution,  I  cannot  but  regard  as  a  spiritual 
reality,  and  not  as  a  mere  legal  fiction.  It  is,  then,  simply  im- 
possible for  me  (or  indeed  for  any  other  parish  priest)  to  divest 
myself  of  my  spiritual  control  (however  remotely  and  rarely  it 
may  be  exercised)  with  respect  to  the  districts  to  be  occupied 
by  the  members  of  the  Mission. 

But  could  I  (independently  of  the  question  of  duty  and  con- 
science) debar  myself  from  the  exercise  of  such  control?  You 
speak  of  building  a  chapel  and  having  it  licensed  for  divine 
service  at  once.  Well,  for  any  u-regularities  in  the  service  of  such 
chapel  both  the  Canon  and  the  common  law  will  hold  me  alone 
to  be  responsible.  Is  it  then  reasonable  that  I  should  debar 
myself  from  the  possible  exercise  of  that  ecclesiastical  control 
which  is  essential  to  the  discharge  of  such  responsibility  ? 

And  further,  is  it  desirable?  We  contemplate  eventually  the 
erection  of  several  such  chapels,  and  the  addition  of  some  six 
or  eight  missionaries.  Suppose,  then,  some  one  missionary  to 
commit  grave  irregularities  in  the  celebration  of  service  in  such 
chapels,  or  in  the  conduct  of  his  Mission.  I  must,  of  course,  in 
such  a  case,  protect  myself  and  my  parish  from  such  irregularities  ; 


90 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


but  I  should  have  no  power  to  interfere,  scarcely  even  by  way  of 
remonstrance  (and  the  head  of  the  Mission  would  have  no  eccle- 
siastical jurisdiction  whatever).  I  should  therefore  be  compelled 
at  once  to  adopt  the  extreme  measure  of  requesting  the  Bishop 
to  issue  an  inhibition  against  such  missionary,  and  to  A^thdraw 
his  licence.  I  should  scarcely  consent  to  place  either  myself  or 
the  members  of  the  Mission  in  a  position  in  which  such  a  course 
as  this  would  be  my  only  alternative. 

It  is,  then,  I  think,  absolutely  essential  that  such  Missions  as 
we  contemplate  should  be  constituted  in  entire  harmony  with  the 
fundamental  ordinances  of  Christ  in  His  Church,  as  those  are  fixed 
by  the  Ca7ions  of  the  Church  Universal.  If  you  think  that  such  a 
Mission  could  not  efficiently  be  worked  in  connection  with  myself 
as  the  parish  priest,  then  of  course  you  will  seek  for  another 
sphere ;  if  you  have  any  doubts  on  this  point,  then  you  can  try  the 
experiment  (say,  for  three  or  six  months) ;  and  that  you  may  be 
perfectly  unshackled  at  the  termination  of  such  period,  I  will,  if 
you  wish,  take  upon  myself  the  responsibility  of  taking  the  house 
in  Calvert  Street  for  the  temporary  purpose.  Nay,  further,  as 
we  are  beginning  a  very  eventful  experiment  in  the  Church  of 
England,  it  is  most  important  that  we  should  begin  upon  a  sound 
and  safe  basis. 

Both  you  and  I  may  be  deceived  or  biassed  :  you  may  regard 
the  Mission  too  exclusively  from  your  point  of  view,  as  of  course 
I  may  from  mine.  Send  then  your  letter  and  this  to  Dr.  Pusey 
for  his  counsel ;  he,  in  Oxford,  has  the  advantage  of  consulting 
far  better  and  wiser  heads  than  yours  or  mine,  learned  Canonists 
and  earnest  and  experienced  parish  priests. 

Beg  him  to  draw  up  an  experimental  scheme  or  constitution 
for  the  Mission,  giving  it  as  free  and  unshackled  a  position  as  is 
compatible  with  my  responsibilities,  and  I  doubt  not  that  such  a 
scheme  will  meet  the  wants  of  both  of  us. 

Believe  me,  yours  very  sincerely, 

Bryan  King. 

P.S. — I  do  not  advert  now  to  the  minor  matters  alluded  to  in 


CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  MISSION. 


91 


yours  of  Whit  Tuesday,  as  e.g.  your  objection  to  the  members  of 
the  Mission  discharging  any  stated  duties  in  the  parish  church, 
and  your  objection  to  undertake  at  present  the  charge  of  the 
remotest  district  of  the  parish,  because  (however  anxious  I  may 
feel  on  this  latter  point)  I  shall  of  course  be  ready  to  defer  to 
your  wishes  in  all  such  matters. — B.  K. 

Rectory,  St.  George's  East,  May  19. 
.  .  .  Collins  spent  yesterday  with  us,  and  from  some  talk 
which  I  had  with  him  as  to  the  Mission,  I  think  it  possible  I  may 
have  misapprehended  your  meaning  when  I  supposed  you  to 
propose  that  I  should  absolutely  give  up  the  district  to  the  Mission. 
He  thinks  you  wished  only  for  the  arrangement  which  is  carried 
out  in  Leeds  under  Dr.  Hook,  who  says  to  a  clergyman  of  a 
chapei,  "  I  give  up  this  district  to  you  (delegating  to  you  my 
charge  over  its  people),  but  I  must  take  it  out  of  your  hands 
should  you  commit  any  grave  irregularity."  Now,  should  this  be 
your  meaning,  I  presume  there  would  be  no  difficulty  about  the 
matter ;  only  to  the  latter  part  of  the  above  proposition  I  should 
much  prefer  the  following  understanding — indeed,  I  should  in 
every  respect  prefer  saying — "I  give  up  this  part  of  my  charge  to 
you,  having  entire  confidence  in  you  ;  only  let  there  be  the  fullest 
confidence  between  us.  So  pray  don't  enter  upon  any  new  line  0/ 
action  without  first  apprising  me  of  your  intentions,  and  so 
affording  me  an  opportunity  of  consultation  with  you  about  it." 

Collins  thinks  it  would  be  better  were  you  to  give  me  at  first 
a  written  plan  of  your  proposed  scheme  of  working  the  Mission, 
to  prevent  all  future  misunderstanding ;  but  as  our  plan  is  at 
present  utterly  experimental,  and  must  be  modified  almost  from 
day  to  day,  this  would  hardly  be  practicable.  And  I  confess  I 
do  not  like  the  thought  of  it,  as  it  seems  to  imply  distrust,  of  which 
I  feel  not  the  slightest  shadow,  either  with  respect  to  him  or 
yourself 

Rectory,  St.  George's  East,  May  21,  1856. 
.  ,  .  There  is  no  difficulty  in  the  least  about  the  assignment 
of  a  conventional  district  wth  the  consent  of  the  Bishop.    This  I 


92 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


have  done  for  several  years  in  the  north-west  portion  of  my  parish, 
but  then,  of  course,  such  an  arrangement  is  necessarily  terminable 
at  any  time,  at  the  option  either  of  myself  or  the  clergyman  in 
charge. 

I  cannot  possibly  make  such  an  assignment  absolutely  mitil  I 
be  formally  discharged  from  my  legal  and  ecclesiastical  responsi- 
bilities in  respect  to  such  districts.  However,  it  seems  right  upon 
all  accounts  that  we  should  apprise  the  Bishop  now  in  the  first 
instance  of  our  progress  and  prospects.  I  will  therefore  wnte  at 
once  to  Mr.  Green,  informing  him  of  our  present  position,  and 
requesting  him  to  consult  the  Bishop  upon  the  question  of  the 
assignment. 

Rectory,  St.  George's  East,  May  27,  1856. 

...  I  have  just  heard  from  Mr.  Blomfield,  in  answer  to  my 
application  to  the  Bishop  through  Mr.  Green,  who  writes  on  the 
subject  as  follows: — "His  Lordship  desires  me  to  say  that  the 
clergymen  who  are  to  act  as  missionaries  in  your  parish  will  be 
licensed  as  your  assistant  curates,  and  although  it  will  be  in  your 
power  to  give  them  any  extent  of  pastoral  charge  which  you  may 
think  proper,  they  will  still  be  amenable  to  your  authority  as  mucli 
as  an  assistant  curate  would  be,  for  their  position  as  missionaries 
cannot  affect  your  jurisdiction  as  Rector.  While  therefore  you 
may  give  them  a  great  liberty  of  action,  and  more  than  you  would 
give  to  an  assistant  curate,  you  cannot  resign  a  district  absolutely 
to  their  charge,  so  as  to  give  up  your  right  of  interference  in  any 
matter  or  at  any  time  which  might  seem  to  you  to  require  it.  As 
Rector  you  will,  therefore,  be  responsible  for  their  proceedings. 

"  The  Bishop  also  desires  me  to  say  that  if  Mr.  Lowder  comes 
to  him,  appointed  by  you,  and  with  the  usual  testimonials,  he  will 
be  prepared  to  license  him." 

The  above  remarks  upon  the  necessary  present  ecclesiastical 
position  of  the  Mission,  in  any  parish,  is,  you  will  see,  very  much 
as  I  anticipated.  I  have  not  a  copy  of  my  note  to  Mr.  Green,  but 
if  you  would  wish  to  see  it,  I  dare  say  that  Mr.  Blomfield  could  lend 
it  you.    I  repeat  that  I  do  not  anticipate  the  least  practical  difii- 


MISSION  DISTRICTS. 


93 


culty  between  us.  You  would,  of  course,  inform  me  of  any  new 
line  of  action  upon  which  you  were  about  to  enter  before  you  com- 
mitted vie  to  it,  and  with  that  limitation  (which  is  essential  to  my 
responsibilities  in  the  case)  you  would  be  free  in  your  action. 

May  31,  1S56. 

.  .  .  You  misapprehend  the  Bishop  on  the  points  of  a  con- 
ventional district.  I  wrote  to  say  that  I  proposed  to  assign  one 
to  the  members  of  the  Mission,  and  he  does  not  say  a  word 
against  it ;  he  only  speaks  of  the  position  of  the  clergy  in  charge  of 
such  conventional  districts.  Upon  the  principles  of  your  scheme  for 
the  Mission,  of  course,  I  quite  agree ;  as  to  the  time  for  carrying 
some  of  them  out,  and  the  Christian  economy  and  reserve  to  be 
observed  (respecting  some  of  them),  of  course  that  must  be  left 
to  the  members  of  the  Mission,  and  I  tinist  that  they  will  always 
be  in  the  habit  of  the  fullest  and  most  fraternal  consultation  with 
myself,  upon  all  religious  questions  affecting  the  parish,  whether 
more  directly  relating  to  the  parish  church  or  the  Mission.  I  need 
but  allude  to  two  points  of  the  scheme  in  question. 

First,  I  fear  that  it  will  be  no  more  legally  practicable  to  use 
the  licensed  chapel  for  other  services  than  those  of  the  Prayer- 
book  than  it  would  in  the  case  of  a  consecrated  building. 

Secondly,  as  to  churchings  and  baptismal  services,  I  much 
doubt  whether  churchings  or  baptisms  could  be  legally  celebrated 
in  such  chapel  at  all. 

On  the  point  of  "fees"  (I  hate  the  word  in  connection  with 
religious  services),  I  presume  that  you  mean  strictly  ^^fces"  and 
do  not  mean  that  people  should  be  taught  that  they  can  return 
God  thanks  without  making  to  Him  thankoffcrings."  The  en- 
closed, which  I  circulated  some  twelve  years  ago,  will  explain 
what  I  mean. 

The  openness  and  simplicity  with  which  Charles  laid 
his  wishes  before  his  parents  proves  his  confidence  in  their 
readiness  to  join  with  him  in  the  offering  of  liis  life,  and 


94 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


in  his  choice  of  poverty  and  self-denial.  He  writes  to 
them  without  passion,  without  any  enthusiastic  expres- 
sions, and  without  using  arguments  to  support  his  wishes, 
betraying  unconsciously  his  knowledge  of  their  greatness 
of  mind.  One  to  whom  the  writer  is  most  indebted  for 
information  concerning  "  Father  Lowder "  writes  thus  of 
his  parents  : — 

It  was  my  privilege  to  know  these  two  charming  persons 
very  well.  They  lived  *  and  died  at  Frome,  and  I  was  one  of  the 
curates  of  the  parish  church  for  four  years.  I  see  now  the  bent 
figure  of  this  dear  and  venerable  old  man,  ]\Ir.  Lowder's  father, 
climbing  the  hill  to  church,  each  morning,  to  be  present  at  the 
daily  celebration. 

I  think  he  communicated  every  day.  It  was  a  picture  that 
always  moved  one's  heart,  to  see  him  kneeling,  in  rapt  prayer,  in 
the  beautiful  side-chapel  of  the  parish  church.  Often  his  wife  was 
with  him,  whenever  her  health  permitted,  and  one  could  not  see  a 
more  lovely  old  couple  in  all  Christendom. 

It  used  to  delight  me  to  walk  with  him  in  his  garden,  and 
let  him  pour  out  all  his  heart  in  praises  of  his  son.  He  was  so 
proud  of  "  Charles,"  and  it  was  a  pride  that  one  respected  and 
loved. 

I  never  met  a  more  gentle,  unselfish,  noble-hearted  old  man. 
It  was  no  wonder  that  our  Mr.  Lowder  should  be  what  he  was, 
the  child  of  such  God-fearing,  saintly  parents. 

Their  devoted  daughters  made  a  home  for  them  at 
Frome,  taking  pupils  ;  and  Charles  probably  wished  to 
talk  matters  over  with  his  own  people  at  this  crisis  of 
his  life.  In  his  sister  Susan's  journal  there  is  the  following 
entry : — 

*  From  1854. 


FIRST  RETREAT  FOR  CLERGY. 


95 


June  22,  1856. 

Charles  appeared  unexpectedly  at  church_this  morning.* 

2Sth. 

After  service,  Charles  brought  Dr.  Pusey  to  see  us,  and  asked 
him  to  say  something  to  our  pupils.  He  spoke  to  us  of  the 
doctrine  contained  in  the  sermon  we  had  heard  from  Mr.  Richards, 
and  gave  us  his  blessing, 

July  2. 

We  all,  with  Charles,  went  by  train  to  Westbury,  and  there 
clambered  up  to  the  "  White  Horse,"  by  a  very  steep,  slippery  way, 
where  we  enjoyed  the  fine  views. 

It  may,  perhaps,  have  been  during  this  gathering  of 
clergy  of  Fromc-Selwood  that  it  was  determined  to  attempt 
some  sort  of  revival  of  Retreats  for  the  clergy,  and  that 
Dr.  Pusey,  with  his  wonted  hospitality,  offered  his  house 
for  the  purpose.  For  the  next  letter  from  Charles  to  his 
mother  gives  an  account  of  the  first  beginning  of  what  has 
since  then  become  an  habitual  practice  with  a  large  body 
of  the  English  clergy. 

To  know  that  it  should  have  had  its  cradle  in  the  home 
of  the  venerable  man  to  whom  the  Church  owes  largest 
gratitude  will  be,  in  these  his  days  of  calm  retirement,  a 
tender  gratification  and  interest  to  many. 

My  dear  Mother,  ^^f"""*^'  J'^'^  '^S6. 

Writing  from  the  Union  to  you  reminds  me  very 
much  of  thirteen  or  fourteen  years  ago,  for  though  the  room  is  a 
new  one,  yet  the  associations  are  in  many  respects  the  same.  .  .  . 

*  lie  remained  during  the  Festival  of  St.  John  Baptist,  when  the  chancel 
of  Frome  Church  was  opened.  Amongst  the  preachers  during  the  Octave 
were  Dr.  Pusey,  Rev.  Upton  Richards,  Dr.  Evans,  and  Dr.  Woodford,  now 
Bishop  of  Ely. 


96 


CHARLES  LOWDER, 


We  have  spent  a  very  happy  and,  I  trust,  profitable  Aveek  at 
Dr.  Pusey's.  There  have  been  at  one  time  and  the  other  seven- 
teen or  eighteen  clerg}'men  present.  We  met  together  about  half- 
past  six  to  prepare  for  Holy  Communion,  and  say  Prime,  the  first 
Hour.  Then  we  went  to  Holy  Communion  at  St.  Thomas's  at 
seven,  remaining  in  church  for  prayer  about  half  an  hour  after  the 
service ;  then  came  back  to  say  our  Thanksgiving,  and  Terce ; 
after  that  breakfast,  at  which  a  very  beautiful  book  of  meditations 
for  a  Retreat  like  ours  was  read  ;  went  to  the  Cathedral,  or  Mag- 
dalen Chapel,  at  ten,  and,  on  two  days,  after  that  to  a  chapel  in 
one  of  the  cemeteries  for  private  prayer ;  then  returned  to  Christ 
Church  for  Sext,  and  then  our  conference  :  consulting  together  on 
points  of  interest,  such  as  conversion  and  confession,  or  on  some 
book  of  the  Fathers.  After  that,  dinner  about  two  or  three,  when 
there  was  also  spiritual  reading. 

After  dinner  Nones  and  prayers  at  the  Cathedral ;  a  walk 
before  tea,  and  after  tea  another  conference  and  reading,  and 
Compline  before  bed.  I  have  given  you  a  full  description,  thinking 
you  and  my  father  might  be  interested  in  what,  I  trust,  has  been 
a  very  useful  week  for  those  engaged  in  it ;  being  an  attempt  to 
revive  a  kind  of  Retreat  for  Clergy,  that  they  might  be  able  to  give 
more  time  to  prayer  and  common  consultation  in  quiet  and  away 
from  distraction.  It  has  been  an  especial  help  to  me  before 
entering  upon  the  Mission.  Dr.  Pusey  has  entered  very  kindly 
into  it,  and  given  us  the  greatest  assistance,  besides  lodging  and 
boarding  us  all. 

This  account  that  I  have  given  you  is  meant  to  be  private, 
so  do  not  let  it  go  out  of  the  house.  I  am  going  to  preach  at 
St.  Thomas's  to-mon'ow  in  the  morning,  and  at  Littleniore  in  the 
afternoon,  and  shall  leave  by  an  early  train  on  Monday  morning, 
and  probably  sleep  at  Mr.  Knight's,  York  Place,  St.  George's 
East,  on  Monday  and  Tuesday,  getting  off  if  I  can  early  Wednes- 
day morning.  My  duty  to  my  father,  and  love  to  Aunt  E.,  Rose, 
and  Willy. 

Believe  me,  your  dutiful  and  affectionate  son, 

Charles. 


NEW  HOME  IN  CALVERT  STREET. 


97 


It  is  certainly  remarkable  that  the  first  attempt  at  a 
Retreat  for  Clergy  in  the  English  Church  should  have 
immediately  preceded  the  first  organized  and  real  attack 
upon  the  heathenism  of  London. 

Mr.  Lowder  left  St.  Barnabas'  on  August  22,  and  took 
up  his  abode  at  the  Mission  House  in  Calvert  Street,  in 
the  parish  of  St.  George's-in-the-East. 

It  is  not  without  its  own  interest  and  importance,  at 
this  crisis,  that  among  the  last  anxieties  of  Bishop  Blom- 
field's  long  and  active  life  was  the  question  of  Charles 
Lowder's  licence  to  St.  George's,  which  gave  rise  to  the 
following  letters  from  the  Rector  of  the  parish 

Felixstow,  Ipswich,  August  9,  1856. 

My  dear  Brother, 

I  think  that  I  can  hardly  ask  the  Bishop  yet  for  a 
licence,  either  for  the  clergyman  or  (on  that  account)  for  the 
room.  In  consequence  of  some  remarks  of  the  Bishop  in  Mr. 
Blomfield's  letter  to  me  of  May  last,  respecting  the  importance 
of  great  prudence  and  discretion  on  my  part,  as  well  as  on  the 
part  of  the  clergymen  acting  as  missionaries  •  in  my  parish,  I  was 
led  to  reply  that  I  should  not  ask  the  Bishop  to  license  any 
clergyman  for  such  duty,  until  he  had  the  experience  of  at  least 
two  months'  work  as  a  missionary. 

Again,  your  form  of  licence  will  hardly  do,  I  can  hardly 
undertake  the  payment  of  ;^8o  per  annum,  and  it  does  not  seem 
right  that  I  should  in  terms  undertake  what  I  do  not  intend 
personally  to  fulfil.  We  must  settle  the  form  of  nomination  with 
the  Bishop  when  the  time  comes. 

Should  you  wish  an  immediate  licence,  of  course  I  will  wite 
to  Mr.  Blomfield  upon  the  subject,  but  I  think  it  would  be 
better  to  waive  this  point  at  present, 

P.S. — I  am  very  glad  to  hear  from  St.  George's  of  the  suc- 
cessful commencement  of  the  Mission  services  by  Collins. 

H 


98 


CHARLES  LOWDER, 


August  12,  1856. 

...  I  think  that  you  have  quite  misunderstood  me  in  the  matter 
of  the  Hcence ;  I  never  distrusted  your  fitness  for  the  Mission 
in  every  way.  I  do  not  in  the  least  object  to  nominate  you  to-day, 
as  indeed  I  fancied  I  had  sufficiently  indicated  in  my  last  note  to 
you,  nor  indeed  do  I  object  to  nominate  Collins.  The  simple 
fact  is  this :  In  the  letter  to  me  in  question,  the  Bishop  was 
evidently  nervous  and  anxious  about  our  experiment,  warning 
me  about  my  responsibility,  and  desiring  me  to  be  very  cautious, 
etc.  Well,  he  had  behaved  so  kindly  and  generously  at  first  in 
giving  us  his  confidence  and  countenance — he  was  suffering  from 
severe  illness  at  the  time — that  I  thought  I  could  not  do  less  than 
attempt  to  tranquillize  him  and  satisfy  his  apprehensions  by  replying 
that,  should  he  wish  it,  I  would  not  nominate  any  clergyman  to 
the  Mission  until  he  had  some  couple  of  months'  experience  in 
the  work.  I  presume  that  this  did  satisfy  him,  and  simply  on  this 
ground  I  wished  you  (as  I  still  do)  to  waive  your  wishes  for 
the  present  about  your  licence.  At  the  same  time,  I  repeat  that 
I  shall  be  ready  at  once  to  apply  to  the  Bishop  for  permission  to 
nominate  you  to  the  assistant  curacy  should  you  still  wish  it.  I 
assure  you  that  I  have  not  personally  the  shadow  of  a  feeling  on 
this  subject;  it  is  to  me  a  matter  of  indifference  whether  I  nomi- 
nate you  now  or  two  months  hence ;  but  I  am  sure  that  you  will 
agree  with  me  in  thinking  it  right  to  consult  the  feelings  and  even 
prejudices  of  our  poor  worn-out  Bishop  in  such  a  matter.  You 
know  that  we  have  it  under  his  hand  that  he  will  be  ready  to 
license  you  on  my  nomination.  Well,  under  such  circumstances, 
no  successor  of  his  (be  he  who  he  may)  could  hesitate  a  moment 
to  carry  out  that  intention,  when  you  had  left  your  former  cure 
and  entered  upon  your  duties  at  St.  George's  in  consequence  of 
such  expressed  intention  of  the  then  Bishop. 

However,  judge  for  yourself  in  the  matter ;  only  pray  do  not 
conceive  that  there  is  any  distrust  on  my  part.  I  shall  be,  I  repeat, 
perfectly  ready  and  willing  to  do  what  you  may  wish. 


LICENCE  FOR  MISSIONERS. 


99 


August  1 6,  1856. 

I  did  not  inform  you  of  the  circumstances  in  question,  be- 
cause in  the  first  place  the  Bishop's  cautions,  which  gave  rise 
to  my  proposal,  were  intended  solely  for  myself;  and,  secondly,  it 
seemed  very  undesirable  that  I  should  unnecessarily  inform  you 
of  a  circumstance  which  might  bear  the  appearance  to  you  of  the 
Bishop's  want  of  confidence  in  yourself ;  and  I  may  here  say  that 
Dr.  Pusey  (who  was  informed  by  me  of  all  the  circumstances) 
fu//y  agreed  with  Jtie  in  this  view.  However,  I  much  regret  that  I 
should  (however  unintentionally)  have  caused  you  any  pain  or 
annoyance.  I  write  to-day  to  the  Bishop  (through  Mr.  Blomfield), 
but  I  will  not  in  the  first  instance  say  that  you  make  his  immediate 
licence  a  condition  of  coming  to  St.  George's,  as  he  might  con- 
strue that  as  a  kind  of  threat.  I  will  merely  at  first  say  that 
you  arc  naturally  anxious  that  the  thing  should  be  settled  before 
his  resignation,  adding  too  my  own  request  on  the  same  ground. 
I  don't  think  that  you  will  need  any  testimonials  for  this  transfer 
of  your  licence  from  one  cure  to  another. 

August  21,  1856. 

The  Rev.  F.  G.  Blomfield  informs  me  that  "the  Bishop  is 
prepared  to  license  Mr.  Lowder  and  Mr.  Collins  as  your  assistant 
curates,"  through  the  Ai'chdeacon  acting  as  his  commissary ;  but 
in  reply  to  my  query  as  to  the  statement  of  stipend,  he  writes  as 
follows  : — "  The  Bishop  would  not  feel  himself  at  liberty  to  alter 
the  usual  form  of  nomination,  which  I  enclose.  The  amount  of 
the  stipend  may  be  agreed  upon  between  yourself  and  Mr.  Lowder 
and  Mr.  Collins,  but  in  law  you  will  be  responsible  for  the  pay- 
ment of  it,  from  whatever  source  the  funds  may  be  derived." 
Now,  I  presume  that  if  we  mutually  agree  upon  the  stipend  of 
per  annum  each,  and  I  pay  you  that  sum  quarterly,  this  will 
meet  the  above  requirement  (for  the  present  year,  you  can 
return  me  out  of  the  ;^io  which  I  paid  as  my  subscription 
for  this  purpose) ;  tliis  arrangement  comes  within  the  letter  of  Mr. 


lOO 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


Blomfield's  direction,  and  I  should  think  would  be  accepted  by 
Archdeacon  Hale  under  the  circumstances  of  the  case. 

The  two  letters  which  follow  are  the  last  from  St.  Bar- 
nabas' and  the  first  from  Charles  Lowder's  new  home  to 
his  mother. 

St.  Barnabas'  College,  August  i8,  1856. 

My  DEAR  Mother, 

You  may  suppose  I  am  fully  occupied,  as  I  hope  to 
get  down  to  St.  George's  on  Wednesday,  when  my  address  will  be 
Mission  House,  Calvert  Street,  St.  George's  East. 

Yesterday  I  took  my  leave  of  most  of  my  flock,  though  I  take 
a  last  Communion  with  them  on  Sunday  morning  next. 

I  am  going  to  send  do\vn  a  small  box  of  books  which  may  be 
useful  to  Willy,  and  some  note-books ;  if  there  are  any  which  he 
does  not  want  and  Annie  does,  she  can  have  them.  Some  few 
are  yours ;  the  box  is  also  yours. 

I  am  busy  paying  farewell  visits,  which  is  not  a  happy  occu- 
pation. 

Duty  to  my  father,  and  love  to  all. 

Believe  me,  your  dutiful  and  affectionate  son, 

Charles. 

Mission  House,  Calvert  Street,  St.  George's,  August,  1856. 
My  dear  Mother, 

I  was  very  glad  to  receive  your  letter  this  morning.  I 
arrived  here  about  five  o'clock,  and  we  had  a  service  at  eight,  at 
which,  although  a  very  wet  day,  there  were  a  few  people.  We 
hope  to  begin  our  temporary  church  very  soon,  although  there  arc 
delays  from  the  Metropolitan  Board  of  Works,  who  have  to  approve 
of  every  building  before  it  is  commenced. 

I  shall  be  glad  to  see  Willy,  who  I  suppose  will  make  his 
appearance  here  soon.  We  might  give  him  a  bed  in  a  day  or  two, 
but,  you  may  suppose,  we  are  all  in  the  rough.    This  letter  is  the 


FAREWELL  TO  ST.  BARNABAS'. 


lor 


first  I  have  written  in  my  own  room,  having  only  just  got  the  table 
in.  You  may  tell  Annie  I  have  her  scroll  up  behind  me,  over  the 
chimney-piece,  and  a  picture  of  the  Crucifixion  and  her  drawing 
of  St.  Laurence  before  me.  It  was,  of  course,  very  painful  wish- 
ing good-bye  to  all  at  St.  Barnabas';  however,  I  got  through  it 
better  than  I  expected.  I  met  the  people  of  my  district  in  the 
school-room  on  Sunday  afternoon,  and  I  am  going  to  receive 
Holy  Communion  with  them  next  Sunday  at  half-past  seven.  I 
hope  you  will  remember  us  at  your  eight  o'clock  Communion. 
Wishing  the  school  children  good-bye  tried  me  most.  However, 
it  is  not  as  if  I  was  quite  cut  off.  There  seems  a  great  work  to  be 
done  here,  if  God  gives  us  grace  and  strength  to  do  it.  Duty 
to  my  father,  and  love  to  all, 

From  your  dutiful  and  affectionate  son, 

Charles. 

So,  with  single  heart,  he  gave  himself  to  the  work  to 
which  he  was  called.  He  had  looked  steadily,  during  his 
missionary  visits  to  East  London,  into  the  great  gulf  of 
misery  and  sin  ;  and,  no  longer  content  to  stand  on  its 
edge,  giving  a  helping  hand  here  and  there,  he  cast  him- 
self boldly  into  the  midst  of  it,  if  by  any  means  he  might 
save  some. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


FIELD  OF  THE  MISSION. 

*'  Where  all  life  dies,  death  lives,  and  nature  breeds 
Perverse,  all  monstrous,  all  prodigious  things, 
Abominable,  unutterable." 

When  Charles  Lowder  gave  his  life  to  the  Mission  of  St. 
George's-in-the-East,  he  had  reached  the  age  of  thirty-six, 
a  time  of  life  when  a  man's  character  is  no  longer  imma- 
ture, although  it  can  never  cease  to  grow  and  to  be  modified, 
in  one  direction  or  another,  until  the  end. 

What  was  the  work  for  which,  in  the  very  prime  of 
manhood,  he  thus  gave  up  everything  else  on  earth And 
what  manner  of  man  was  he  who  chose  this  work,  and 
how  did  it  re-act  upon  his  own  heart  and  outer  bearing? 
What  is  the  image  which  he  has  left  in  the  hearts  of  his 
people } 

It  is  difficult,  nay  impossible,  to  draw  a  truthful  picture 
of  the  field  which  he  voluntarily  chose  as  that  of  his  life's 
work.  The  shadows  would  be  too  black  and  unrelieved. 
There  is  a  long  street  within  five  minutes'  walk  of  the  Mis- 
sion House  where  Charles  lived.    It  has  been  said  that — 

A  full  volume  would  not  suffice  to  exhibit  the  records  of  de- 
bauchery and  crime  with  which  the  history  of  but  one  street  in 


RATCLIFF  HIGHWAY. 


103 


the  East  of  London  is  associated.  That  street  is  the  RatcUfF 
Highway.*  Houses  of  call,  dancing  and  concert  rooms,  brothels 
and  spirit  shops,  furnish  a  rendezvous  for  the  lowest  types  of 
humanity  of  almost  every  nation. 

This  Highway  runs  through  the  parish  of  St.  George's-in-the- 
East,  from  west  to  east.  Foreign  sailors  from  every  country — 
Greeks,  Malays,  Lascars,  Dutch,  Portuguese,  Spanish,  French, 
Austrians — may  be  encountered  everywhere;  so  that,  with  the 
German  sugar-bakers,  the  population  is  as  mixed  as  any  in  the 
world. 

• 

The  street  is  laid  out,  as  it  were,  for  the  reception,  enter- 
tainment, and  amusement,  tale  quale,  of  sailors,  and  is  filled 
with  boarding-houses,  slop-shops,  and  all  the  attendants  of 
a  seafaring  population.  Amongst  them  are  two  or  three 
collections  of  foreign  animals  and  birds,  Mr.  Jamrach's 
wild  beasts  and  curiosities  being  the  most  famous. 

But  in  what  words  is  it  possible  to  speak  of  the  un- 
happy beings  who  absolutely  throng  this  street,  lying  in 
wait  for  their  prey 

Alas,  alas !  we  are  content  that  vice  and  misery  should 
be  removed  from  our 'sight,  as  something  which  offends  our 
so-called  refinement  and  culture.  The  streets  of  West 
London  are,  as  it  were,  swept  clean  of  the  outward  hideous- 
ness  of  sin.  What  would  be  at  once  put  a  stop  to  by  the 
police  in  any  of  our  "  respectable  "  thoroughfares  is  per- 
mitted to  go  on  unchecked  within  an  hour's  drive  of  Rotten 
Row.  We  are  careful  to  guard  our  high-born  wives  and 
daughters  from  at  least  those  outward  scenes  which  might 
shock  their  eyes  and  corrupt  their  morals ;  but  though  we 
talk  sentiment  about  the  brave  tars  of  merry  England,  we 

*  Now  called  St.  George's  Street. 


104 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


do  little  or  nothing  to  save  them  from  ruin,  in  every  sense, 
when  they  return  to  our  shores.* 

St.  George's-in-the-East  forms  a  part  of  that  eastern 
London  little  known  to  dwellers  in  pleasanter  quarters  of 
the  metropolis.  And  yet,  to  quote  Charles  Lowder's  own 
account  of  those  parts — 

St.  George's  contains  one  of  the  main  supplies  of  London's 
wealth  and  commerce,  as  well  as  one  of  its  most  curious  sights — 
the  London  Docks.  The  extensive  basins,  in  which  may  be  seen 
the  largest  ships  of  the  world;  the  immense  warehouses,  which 
contain  the  treasures  of  every  quarter  of  the  globe — wool,  cotton, 
tea,  coffee,  tobacco,  skins,  ivoiy ;  the  miles  of  vaults  filled  with 
wines  and  spirits ;  the  thousands  of  persons  employed — clerks, 
custom  officers,  artisans,  labourers,  lightermen,  and  sailors — make 
the  Docks  a  world  of  itself,  as  well  as  a  cosmopolitan  rendezvous 
and  emporium.  Those  who  merely  catch  a  glimpse  from  a  river 
steamer  of  its  forest  of  masts  can  have  little  idea  of  the  busy 
scenes  which  are  daily  to  be  witnessed  within  its  high  walls. 
Here  are  vessels  swarming  with  labourers  lading  and  unlading; 
pov/erful  hydraulic  cranes,  lifting  their  tons ;  gaugers  measuring 
and  testing  the  wines  and  spirits  ;  porters  shifting  hogsheads  ; 
coopers  hammering ;  clerks  busy  entering  the  freights ;'  the  trim 
American  clippers,  the  fast  tea-ships  from  China,  or  the  Mediter- 

*  While  these  pages  are  passing  through  the  press,  a  Mission  House  and 
Restaurant  for  sailors  has  been  opened  at  42A,  Dock  Street,  London  Docks. ' 
It  is  under  the  same  admirable  management  which  has  already  done  so  much 
for  working-men  by  opening  Restaurants,  where  they  are  well  and  cheaply  fed, 
in  different  parts  of  London,  notably  in  Harrow  Road,  off  Edgeware  Road, 
and  in  Paternoster  Row.  The  large  and  widespread  missionary  labours  of 
these  Sisters  in  the  worst  parts  of  London,  make  us  feel  that  they  need  nothing 
but  material  support  to  enable  them  to  reclaim  thousands,  and  to  found  real 
havens  of  refuge  for  sailors.  Those  whose  hearts  are  touched  with  pity  for 
these  men  cannot  do  better  than  visit  the  establishment  in  Dock  Street,  and 
judge  for  themselves.  It  is  outside  St.  Peter's  parish,  in  one  of  the  worst 
parts  of  Wapping. 


THE  STREETS  OF  WAPPING. 


105 


ranean  steamers,  warped  out  of  the  river  through  the  dock-gates 
into  the  wide  basins  and  taking  up  their  berths.  Then,  of  course, 
this  commerce  brings  a  vast  amount  of  traffic  into  our  streets. 
Waggons  laden  with  merchandise — heavy  casks  of  sugar  or  Avine, 
bales  of  cotton  or  wool,  tea-chests,  bags  of  coffee— to  be  dispersed 
throughout  the  metropolis,  the  country,  and  the  world;  huge 
boilers,  engines,  or  machinery  to  be  shipped  to  the  colonies  or 
foreign  countries — all  this  life  and  animation  give  a  special  cha- 
racter to  our  streets  and  thoroughfares. 

Here,  therefore,  the  sailors  swarm,  and  here,  in  Mr. 
Lowder's  w^ords,  "  are  to  be  seen  the  poor  denizens  of  the 
neighbouring  brothels,  flaunting  their  finery  and  their  per- 
sons, and  plying  their  hateful  trade  by  night  and  day.  .  .  . 
The  recklessness  of  vice,  the  unblushing  effrontery  with 
which  it  is  carried  on  when  the  lowest  of  every  country 
combine  to  add  their  quota  to  the  already  overflowing 
stock,  can  scarcely  be  conceived.  The  public-houses  are 
chiefly  kept  by  foreigners,  as  are  very  many  of  the  lodging- 
houses,  whilst  most  of  them  live  upon  the  vices  of  the 
sailors  ;  and  publicans  actually  keep  wretched  girls  in  their 
pay  to  entrap  the  poor  sailor,  who  is  soon  stripped  of  his 
all  when  he  falls  into  their  treacherous  clutches.  A  staff  of 
prostitutes  is,  in  fact,  part  of  the  stock-in-trade,  and  instances 
could  be  adduced  in  which  houses  of  ill  fame  have  been 
attached  to  the  public-houses,  or  rented  by  their  owners. 
At  one  time  the  publican  interest  was  so  powerful  in  the 
parish,  that  for  years  one  at  least  of  the  churchwardens  was 
a  publican. 

■"  In  the  midst  of  such  scenes  of  sin  and  misery  the 
children  were  brought  up,  the  school  of  too  many  being  the 
streets,  abounding  in  temptation,  echoing  with  profane  and 


io6 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


disgusting  language,  and  forming  a  very  atmosphere  of 
vice ;  their  examples  at  home  a  drunken  father  and 
mother,  with  brothers  and  sisters  already  deep  in  sin  ;  and 
abroad  thieves  and  prostitutes  a  little  older  than  them- 
'  selves.  Thus  they  were  early  taught  to  thieve,  to  swear,  to 
be  bold  and  immoral  in  their  manners  and  talk,  and  so  to 
fall  in  with  sins  which  they  beheld  in  others  at  the  most 
precocious  age." 

This  was  no  exaggerated  description  of  this  parish,  for 
it  had  few  redeeming  features  ;  scarcely  any  residents  of 
education  and  respectability  to  foster  a  better  spirit,  unless 
we  except  a  few  professional  persons  whose  ties  confined 
them  to  the  spot,  nearly  every  person  of  this  stamp 
having  given  up  his  residence  in  the  parish  that  his 
children  might  not  be  contaminated  by  evil  sights  and 
sounds. 

Never  can  the  writer  lose  the  haunting  memory  of  that 
Highway — the  evil  faces  of  men,  the  poor  lost  women  sitting 
with  uncovered  heads  in  groups  on  door-steps,  or  walking 
with  sailors  ;  the  sickening  brutality,  degradation,  and  open 
vice  with  which  the  very  air  seemed  thick.  And  ever, 
within  sound  of  this  very  murmur  of  hell,  the  daily  cry 
ascends  from  the  altar  of  St.  Peter's :  "  Thou  that  takest 
away  the  sins  of  the  world,  have  mercy  upon  us." 
'  Ratcliff  Highway  is  outside  the  bounds  of  St.  Peter's 
parish  ;  but  we  have  been  lately  told  that  twenty  years  ago 
that  street  represented  the  condition  of  a  whole  parish,  in 
which  "all  the  elements  of  degradation — poverty  and  impro- 
vidence, drunkenness  and  prostitution,  robbery  and  violence, 
ignorance  and  unbelief,  were  active — a  whole  parish  in 
which  many  of  the  most '  respectable '  found  their  interest 


DWELLINGS  OF  THE  POOR. 


107 


in  supporting  vice,  while  the  police  were  both  unwilling  and 
afraid  to  interfere." 

And  the  worst  is  that  what  is  seen  in  the  streets  is  the 
least  part  of  the  wretchedness  which  exists.  To  know  and 
write  of  these  things  it  is  necessary  to  have  lived  amongst 
them.  No  apology  is  necessary  for  long  extracts  from  the 
accounts  most  kindly  supplied  by  one  *  who  worked  for 
eleven  years  in  those  streets  and  lanes.    He  writes  : — 

The  most  graphic  picture  of  the  narrow  courts  and  alleys,  as 
seen  through  the  murky  atmosphere  of  fog  and  dust,  with  all  the 
horrors  of  sight  and  sound  and  smell — scowling  brutal  faces  of 
men,  degraded  monsters  of  women ;  poor  little  children  half  clad 
except  with  dirt,  with  naked  feet  and  dishevelled  hair,  playing  in 
the  gutter,  many  of  them  stunted,  half-witted,  and  deformed,  and 
all  wan  and  sickly  looking ;  the  air  filled  with  the  bruit  of  quarrels, 
shameful  words,  and  curses — no  mere  passing  experience  of  such 
outside  features  can  give  any  adequate  knowledge  of  the  life  that 
is  lived  within,  in  the  wretched  hovels  that  go  by  the  name  of 
home. 

Thanks  to  the  London  Labourers'  Duellings  Society,  many  of 
these  houses  are  now  much  better  cared  for,  at  least  in  those  parts 
where  the  society  has  property,  but  at  the  time  of  which  I  write 
I  suppose  that  the  average  of  the  parish  would  give  thirty  souls 
to  each  small  house. 

A  whole  family  in  each  room  :  one  room  for  day  and  night, 
for  living  and  dead,  for  all  sexes  and  all  ages.  Think  how  hard 
it  is  to  teach  children  and  grown-up  people  the  respect  and 
reverence  due  to  themselves  as  part  of  the  Body  of  Christ,  amidst 
such  surroundings  of  their  daily  life.  How  almost  impossible  it  is 
to  train  up  the  young  in  habits  of  decency  and  purity  under  such 
degrading  conditions.  It  half  drives  one  mad  to  think  what  it  is 
in  the  sight  of  the  purest  Heaven — the  mad  riot  and  shameful 


*  Rev.  Robert  Linklater. 


io8 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


wickedness  of  souls  that  have  been  redeemed  by  the  precious 
Blood,  who  by  the  foulest  sins  desecrate  their  bodies  which  are 
part  of  Christ,  who  day  by  day  grieve  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God  and 
drive  Him  from  their  hearts. 

And  these,  the  many  of  them,  are  sailors  rescued  from  the 
waves.  Sons  and  husbands  for  whom  have  gone  up  from  many 
an  English  village,  ay,  and  from  homes  throughout  the  world, 
the  earnest  pleading  of  brave  women's  hearts.  Men  who  through 
the  long  night  watches  have  paced  tlie  deck  and  thought  of  the 
days  gone  by,  the  happy  times  when  they  were  pure  and  innocent, 
kneeling  at  their  mothei^'s  knees.  Or  who  have  seen  God's 
wonders  in  the  deep,  who  have  "cried  unto  the  Lord  in  their 
trouble,"  and  were  half  persuaded  for  the  rest  of  their  saved  lives 
to  "praise  the  Lord  for  His  goodness,  and  declare  the  wonders 
that  He  doeth  for  the  children  of  men."  And  now,  when  to  their 
straining  eyes  appear  the  cliffs  of  dear  old  England,  and  when 
v/ith  grateful  hearts  they  land,  they  are  seized  upon  by  harpies, 
liers  in  wait  for  blood,  who  rob  them  of  all  their  hard-earned 
gains,  and  worse  than  rob  them,  spiritually  murder  them. 

I  have  heard  the  most  piteous  stories  of  large  sums  of  money 
thus  squandered  in  a  day  or  two.  And  the  mother  or  wife,  v/ho 
waits  at  home,  has  to  starve.  Ordinary  people  cannot  believe 
what  fools  sailors  are.  Now  and  then  an  exposure  of  the 
"  confidence  trick  "  opens  our  eyes.  Their  very  simpleness,  which 
makes  them  such  easy  dupes,  shows  how  easily  they  could  be  led 
to  good,  and  is  an  appealing  cry  to  us  for  protection  and  help. 

I  went  down  to  Southampton,  some  little  time  ago,  with  a 
sailor  who  had  just  been  paid  off.  It  had  cost  him  five  pounds  to 
get  from  Tower  Hill  to  Waterloo  Station.  I  asked  him  how  he 
could  possibly  have  spent  so  much  money.  He  said,  "Well,  I 
wanted  first  to  go  to  the  shipping  office,  and  I  didn't  know  the 
way,  and  you  can't  ask  your  way  in  London  for  nothing."  I  said, 
"  Why  did  you  not  take  a  cab  ?  "  He  answered,  "  So  I  did  at  last, 
and  that  was  the  cheapest  turn  I  had."  The  cabman  had  only 
charged  him  sixteen  shillings  for  the  journey  (about  a  two-shilling 


UNCERTAIN  EARNINGS. 


109 


fare),  and  the  poor  sailor  then  felt  he  had  to  treat  him,  as  he 
couldn't  charter  him  all  the  way  to  Southampton. 

To  return  to  St.  Peter's-in  the-East :  let  me  try  to  describe  a 
visit  to  one  of  the  dens  which  are  the  homes  of  our  poor.  Having 
struggled  up  the  narrow  rickety  stairs,  and  passed  lower  regions 
peopled  with  men,  women,  and  children,  who  open  their  doors  in 
curiosity  to  gaze  at  us,  and  thus  reveal  the  hideous  misery  within, 
we  come  to  a  garret  where  a  poor  woman  lies  dying  on  the  floor, 
huddled  into  a  corner  on  a  bag  of  straw,  covered  over  for  the  sake 
of  warmth  with  all  the  rags  which  constitute  the  property  of  the 
place.  One  is  half  stifled  with  the  intolerable  smell.  At  a  glance 
we  take  in  the  awful  poverty,  for  literally  there  is  not  a  stick  of 
furniture,  save  the  crazy-looking  table  and  one  broken  chair.  The 
children — well,  I  have  seen  them  quite  naked  like  savages.  Per- 
haps even  in  the  depth  of  winter  no  fire  in  the  grate.  Of  the 
horrors  of  vermin  one  cannot  speak.  We  are  told,  and  we  could 
have  guessed  it  from  their  faces,  that  they  have  not  tasted  food 
that  day. 

God  only  in  heaven  knows  the  awful  poverty  and  suffering 
that  beneath  His  pitying  gaze  is  bravely  borne  by  thousands  and 
thousands  of  our  unhappy  brothers  and  sisters  in  these  daric 
corners  of  our  land.  And  in  the  place  of  which  I  speak  only  a 
dock  wall  separates  them  from  the  food  and  produce  of  the  world, 
and,  a  little  higher  up  the  river,  only  a  railing  shuts  them  out 
from  the  Royal  Mint,  where  all  the  money  of  England  is  coined. 

And  I  am  speaking,  not  of  lazy  vagabonds,  but  of  those  who 
either  cannot  get  work,  or  are  too  ill  to  work.  How  the  heart  of 
the  missionary  is  stirred  to  give  to  these  poor  sufferers  the  "  such 
as  I  ha'.'e,"  the  treasures  and  joy  of  heaven.  What  a  cruel  pity 
it  is  that,  having  such  a  life  of  misery  here,  they  should  miss  the 
Life  of  Joy  hereafter. 

But  it  may  be  said,  "  Poor  creatures  !  what  do  we  pay  our 
poor-rates  for  ?  Why  do  they  not  go  into  the  workhouse  ?  "  Why 
not,  indeed  ?  I  suppose  because  to  go  into  the  workhouse  is  to 
give  up  for  ever  the  battle  of  life,  is  the  snapping  of  the  last  thin 


no 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


tliread  of  hope,  the  for  ever  drowning  themselves,  body  and  soul, 
in  the  dark  waters  of  pauperism.  How  can  we  marvel  that  these 
poor  creatures  cHng  so  tenaciously  to  the  dear  life,  that  they  suffer 
any  privation  rather  than  break  up  their  little  home  and  sink  for 
ever  the  prospects  of  their  children  ? 

The  Guardians  of  the  Poor  so  carefully  fulfil  their  trust,  which 
they  consider  to  be  the  keeping  down  of  the  rates,  that  the 
respectable  poor  would  rather  die  than  enter  their  dreaded  walls ; 
and  as  now  all  outdoor  relief  is  stopped,  unless  the  charity  of  the 
Church  can  help  them,  sickness  and  bad  times  to  them  mean 
simply  starvation  and  death. 

The  great  industry  of  the  Docks  and  river-side  is  lading  and 
unlading  ships.  The  regular  payment  of  such  work  is  fivepence 
an  hour,  making  one  pound  a  week,  if  lucky  enough  to  be  em- 
ployed the  whole  week.  For  many  days  and  weeks  contrary 
.  winds  may  keep  the  ships  down  channel,  and  then  there  is  nothing 
to  do.  It  is  quite  a  common  thing  for  men  to  be  for  weeks  wth- 
out  work.  And  yet  out  of  this  precarious  labour  a  man  has  to 
pay  his  weekly  rent,  and  clothe  and  feed  himself  and  his  family. 
How  can  he  put  by  anything  ? 

And  as  the  arrival  of  ships  is  uncertain,  so  when  they  do  come 
it  is  in  great  numbers  ;  consequently  extra  hands  have  to  be  em- 
ployed to  unlade  and  get  them  ready  for  sea  again,  and  thus  more 
men  are  required  for  these  spurts  of  trade  than  can  be  regularly  • 
employed  in  ordinary  times.  If  these  considerations  affect  even 
prosperous  times,  it  may  be  imagined  how  the  poor  have  suffered 
during  the  months  and  months  of  commercial  depression  through 
which  England  has  lately  passed. 

I  do  not  know  any  more  pitiful  sight  in  London  than  that 
which  can  be  seen  any  early  week-day  morning  at  the  dock 
entrances.  Thousands  of  labourers  waiting  for  work,  and  waiting 
day  after  day  in  vain.  The  official  whose  duty  it  is  to  select  the 
men  required  has  often  told  me  that  it  has  cut  him  to  the  heart  to 
see  this  surging  mass  of  eager  upturned  faces  struggling  to  get 
near  him,  to  have  to  meet  their  imploring  eyes,  and  yet  to  be 


DOCK  LABOURERS. 


obliged  to  deny  them  and  shake  off  their  appealing  glance  and  cry 
back  into  their  despairing  hearts,  knowing  but  too  well  what  it  all 
means  in  the  starvation  and  suffering  of  their  homes. 

What  I  have  said  can  give  but  a  faint  notion  of  the  atmosphere 
of  pain  and  want  and  sin  which  Mr.  Lowder  had  to  breathe  for 
twenty-three  years.  No  wonder  it  broke  do^vn  his  splendid  health 
and  saddened  his  heart.  Think  what  it  is  to  have  to  live  in  the 
midst  of  such  suffering  lives  and  to  be  unable  to  relieve  them  all. 
Only  those  who  have  tried  it  know  how  living  in  such  a  depressing 
place,  and  having  constantly  to  grapple  with  the  same  difficulties, 
the  same  hopeless  puzzle  of  degraded  life  and  multiplying  degra- 
dation, break  down  the  stanchest  heart.  And  Mr.  Lowder's  heart 
when  he  assayed  the  work  must  have  been  stanch  indeed. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


PORTRAIT  OF  THE  MISSIONER. 

"  For  of  the  soul  the  body  form  doth  take, 
For  soul  is  form,  and  form  doth  the  body  make." 

"  Tell  us  what  he  was  like,"  is  a  child's  demand  concerning 
the  hero  of  a  story.  And  older  children  wish  for  a  word- 
painting  of  "  Father  Lowder's "  outward  appearance  and 
character.  But  the  colours  must  be  gathered,  here  and 
there,  from  those  who  knew  him  well. 

He  was  tall,  rather  slight  than  otherwise,  but  remarkably 
well  made,  and  with  that  grace  and  elasticity  of  movement 
which  marks  strength  and  muscular  power.  His  head  was 
singularly  fine,  bald  in  early  manhood,  and  well  set  on  his 
shoulders,  the  organs  which  phrenologists  assign  to  the 
moral  qualities  being  largely  developed.  His  features  were 
regular  and  finely  cut ;  the  calm  steadfast  grey  eyes,  keen 
and  fearless,  shaded  by  somewhat  large  lids,  could  look 
cold  or  tender,  or  light  up  with  a  merry  roguish  twinkle,  as 
occasion  arose.  The  strongly  moulded  mouth  and  chin  and 
tightly  closed  lips  gave  evidence  of  a  strong  will ;  but  the 
lips  could  relax  into  a  very  sweet  smile,  and  of  late  years 
this  was  their  general  expression,  while  the  clear  complexion 
and  fresh  colour  betokened  health  of  body  and  of  mind. 


POKTJiAIT  OF  CHARLES  LOWDER. 


This  is  a  j^icture  of  him  in  his  prime,  before  oppressive 
cares  furrowed  his  brow,  and  ill-health  and  premature  age 
robbed  him  of  his  freshness.  It  was  a  thoroughly  sculp- 
turesque head,  and  was  said  to  resemble  a  carved  portrait 
of  Canning  in  St.  Mary  Redcliffe,  Bristol.  Dr.  Wolff  used 
to  say,  "  I  love  Lowder's  face ;  it  is  like  one  of  the  old 
Passionists ; "  and  one  of  his  curates  said,  "If  the  Father 
were  to  get  up  into  the  pulpit  and  say  nothing,  you  could 
not  help  being  the  better  for  the  sight." 

His  manner  and  address  were  dignified  and  courteous, 
though  as  a  rule  he  was  silent  and  reserved,  except  when 
out  of  harness,  when  he  was  full  of  spirits,  and  always 
talked  freely  and  made  friends.  He  walked  at  a  swinging 
pace,  and  never  allowed  himself  a  moment  more  than  neces- 
sary to  reach  his  proposed  point.  He  was  full  of  energy 
in  all  manly  exercises.  "  I  can  hardly  believe,"  a  friend 
writes,  "that  it  is  only  fifteen  months  since  I  put  on  his 
skates  for  him.  We  went  off  one  frosty  morning  to  have 
a  quiet  day  on  a  pond  in  the  country." 

His  "  outward  fairness  was  all  the  more  fair  because  it 
was  but  the  ambassador  of  a  most  fair  mind,"  but  all  who 
write  of  him  say  that  his  character  is  one  difficult  to  describe- 
And  yet  there  is  the  greater  reason  for  attempting  it, 
because  his  letters  reflect  little  of  himself. 

This  is  certainly,  in  part  at  least,  owing  to  the  absolute 
want  of  self-consciousness  which  must  have  marked  his 
character  to  a  very  unusual  degree. 

His  letters  have  been  placed,  jn  great  numbers,  at 
the  writer's  disposal,  and  rare  indeed  must  it  be  to  find  a 
collection  written  with  such  sincere  simplicity,  without  the 
faintest  trace  of  self-consciousness,  or  of  occupation  with 

I 

i 


114 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


self.  They  are  !n  one  way  the  less  interesting ;  for  people 
with  some  self-consciousness  cannot  help  expressing  their 
inner  selves  in  their  letters  ;  even  excellent  people  are 
more  or  less  occupied  with  their  own  emotions,  and,  uncon- 
sciously, their  pen  paints  themselves.* 

But  really  Charles  Lowder  seems  never  to  have  thought 
about  himself,  certainly  never  contemplated  himself.  If  he 
ever  passed  through  that  "  stage  of  piety "  which  F^ndlon 
says  niost  good  people  traverse,  the  stage  of  self-introspec- 
tion, there  is  no  token  of  it  in  anything  he  has  left.  He 
seems  always  to  have  been  thinking  of  others,  and,  even  in 
his  constant  correspondence  with  the  mother  to  whom  he 
was  devoted,  to  have  no  need  for  ^panchcment  about  his  own 
feelings  and  wishes,  simply  because  he  was  not  thinking 
about  them.  When  he  did  feel  anything  touching  himself 
keenly,  as  his  exile  from  St.  Barnabas',  he  expresses  it  to 
his  mother,  but  in  simplest  and  shortest  words.  There 
is  no  dwelling  on  the  subject,  as  if  it  were  one  which  in- 
terested him.  Most  people  are  interesting  to  themselves, 
but  it  almost  seems  as  if  Mr.  Lowder  did  not  find  himself 
so ;  what  evidently  occupied  his  mind,  as  far  as  earthly 
interests  went,  were  his  own  family,  his  work,  and  natural 
scenery. 

The  more  his  letters  are  read  the  more  they  convey  the 
impression  of  one  wholly  truthful,  wholly  to  be  trusted, 
without  any  inner  folds — expressing  far  less  than  he  felt, 
far  less  than  he  was  prepared  to  do. 

Those  nearest  to  him  say  that  he  was  naturally  excitable, 
but  was  so  deeply  impressed  with  the  danger  and  evils  con- 
nected with  such  a  temperament,  that  the  severe  self-dis- 
*  Of  this,  Bishop  Patteson's  letters  will  recur  to  many  as  a  striking  instance. 


RESERVE  OF  CHARACTER. 


cipline  used  to  keep  it  under,  gave  an  impression  of  coldness ; 
so  that  to  some  he  might  appear  a  man  of  highest  religious 
character  and  principle,  with  a  stern  sense  of  duty,  an  iron 
will,  and  a  dogged  perseverance  in  doing  what  he  felt  to  be 
right,  but  lacking  tenderness  or  humanity.  Certainly  this 
is  the  impression  which  he  made  upon  some  outside  his 
own  family.  One  who  lived  and  worked  with  him  for  many 
years  says  that  he  thought  he  was  "  naturally  a  cold,  stiff, 
stern  man  ;  and  that  it  was  the  conquest  of  grace  over 
nature  which  so  wonderfully  softened  him  in  later  years." 
But  he  goes  on  to  say  : — 

Another  friend  of  his,  with  whom  I  have  discussed  this  point, 
thinks  that  the  tender  heart  was  ahvays  there,  and  that  as  his 
natural  strength  decayed  its  warmth  was  manifested. 

I  do  not  know  that  these  two  views  are  necessarily  antagonistic 
— the  one  may  look  deeper  beneath  the  surface  than  the  other ; 
but  I  am  sure  that  my  view  is  the  more  true  one  as  regards  very 
many  people  who  have  known  and  respected  Mr.  Lowder  through 
long  periods  of  his  life.  Much  as  they  respected  and  admired  him 
they  could  not  all  at  once  get  at  his  heart.  But  when  they  did 
how  rare  and  true  and  deep  did  they  find  his  love.  All  the  more 
precious  because  such  an  unexpected  find. 

My  own  theoiy  about  this  is  that  the  desertion  from  which  he 
had  suffered,*  a  stab  to  his  inmost  heart,  had  added  to  his  natural 
reserve,  and  chilled  and  kept  back  for  a  time  the  flow  of  genial 
and  confiding  love. 

The  turning-point  came  in  the  death  of  his  father  and  mother. 
I  know  that  Mr.  Lowder  came  back  from  their  death-beds  quite 
changed  and  softened.  Indeed,  he  told  some  of  the  poor  people 
that  he  was  afraid  he  had  not  before  entered  sufficiently  into  their 
sorrows,  but  that  now  a  new  light  had  been  let  in  upon  his  soul. 

♦  When  three  curates  suddenly  left  him  to  join  the  Church  of  Rome.  See 
Chapter  XV. 


CHARLES  LOIVDER. 


And  he  was  a  man  who,  when  he  changed,  changed  for  ever.  He 
was  as  determined  and  persevering  in  this  as  in  everything  else. 
He  set  about  it  in  a  mechanical  and  business-like  sort  of  way,  but 
he  succeeded.  He  became  wonderfully  gentle  and  kind  before  his 
death.  I  have  often  been  amused  and  edified  in  watching  the 
manifest  effort  it  cost  him  to  sustain  the  attempt :  one  could  see 
the  workings,  and  nothing  showed  more  the  real  goodness  of  the 
man  than  this  difficult  conquest  over  natural  reserve. 

And  my  opinion  is  that  this  was  all  as  it  should  have  been. 
Had  Mr.  Lowder  been  other  than  he  was  he  would  never  have 
done  the  v/ork  he  did.  It  wanted  a  stern,  determined  man  to 
make  anything  of  the  sort  of  people  he  had  to  do  with.  Gentle- 
ness and  tenderness  would  have  been  mistaken  for  weakness  by 
the  poor  enervated  lives  he  had  to  cultivate  and  raise.  His 
firmness  was  like  an  anchor  to  their  shifting,  changing,  easily  dis- 
couraged hearts.  He  shamed  tliem  into  consistency  and  pluck 
by  his  undaunted  steadfastness.  They  saw  this  noble  figure 
stand  like  a  lighthouse  amidst  overwhelming  waves  of  desertion, 
treachery,  disappointment, ,  and  rebuke,  and  they  were  abashed 
that  small  trials  of  theii-  own  estate,  and  unworthy  attractions  of 
sins  they  had  abandoned,  should  undermine  their  determination 
and  sap  their  perseverance.  They  feared  and  admired  him,  and 
I  dare  say  his  great  example  of  stern  duty-doing,  sticking  to  his 
purpose  through  thick  and  thin,  had  more  effect  on  the  savages 
amongst  whom  we  had  to  live,  than  if  he  had  been  tender  and 
soft.  It  really  was  a  noble  picture  they  looked  upon,  "a  good 
man  struggling  with  adversity." 

And  if  they  quailed  before  his  determined  and  rebuking  eye, 
yet  they  tasted  the  tenderness  of  his  love  and  pity  in  their  hour 
of  sickness  or  spiritual  need.  He  never  could  have  won  the 
intense  love  of  his  people  if  they  had  not  found  out  that  beneath 
that  cold  exterior  beat  the  warm  true  heart  of  the  friend  they 
could  trust,  the  priest  they  could  revere. 

It  is  quite  the  feature  of  their  lasting  regard  for  him,  this 
mixture  of  admiration  for  his  courage  and  gratitude  for  his  love. 


POWER  OF  INFLUENCE. 


117 


"Ah!  the  Father,  he  was  a  man  and  no  mistake," is  still  said  with 
trembling  lips,  and  looked  from  eyes  beaming  with  tenderness  and 
pride.  Nor  do  I  believe  there  is  a  more  united  parish  in  all 
Christendom  than  St.  Peter's-in-the-East ;  from  the  youngest  choir- 
boy to  the  oldest  worker,  all  caught  from  Mr.  Lowder  that  keen 
interest  in  the  work  and  sense  of  personal  responsibility  which  was 
his  special  characteristic. 

One  spirit  animated  all,  churchwardens,  school  teachers,  choir- 
men,  down  to  the  youngest  choir-boy. 

I  cannot  bear  to  speak  of  ourselves,  we  the  curates,  who  for 
six  years  were  unbroken  in  our  ranks.  His  generosity  to  us,  and 
trust  in  us,  are  too  sacred  subjects  to  go  beyond  our  own  hearts. 
But  I  ought  to  say  that  in  a  great  measure  the  peace  and  quiet- 
ness of  St,  Peter's  parish  was  due  to  the  generous  and  Christian 
conduct  of  the  Rectors  of  the  various  parishes  which  girt  us  in  on 
different  sides — St.  George's,  Wapping,  and  Shadwell.  It  was  in 
their  power  to  have  made  it  otherwise,  and  it  was  really  their 
large-heartedness  and  nobleness  of  mind  which  guided  them,  for 
they  did  not  agree  with  us  on  theological  questions. 

I  think  they  recognized  the  goodness  of  Mr.  Lowder,  and 
respected  the  man,  although  they  did  not  approve  of  his  principles. 
At  any  rate,  the  result  was  peace. 

Another,  who  worked  in  the  parish  for  some  years, 
writes : — 

My  first  introduction  to  Mr.  Lowder  was  at  the  Calvert  Street 
Mission  House,  where  I  went  with  the  view  of  joining  the  Mission 
as  a  schoolmaster,  and  of  doing  such  other  work  as  a  layman  might 
properly  perform.  I  cannot  say  that  his  manner  was  encouraging, 
for  he  appeared  to  me  to  be  a  cold  unsympathetic  man  naturally 
and  although  I  joined  the  Mission,  I  was  afraid  that  I  should  find 
it  very  difficult  to  live  with  him.  I  had  reason  for  modifying  this 
impression  afterwards,  for  he  was  far  less  unsympatlietic  than  he 
seemed  to  be,  and  v/hen  you  understood  him,  and  he  understood 


nS 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


you,  it  was  easy  to  work  with  him.  Unfortunately,  some  did 
not  understand  him,  for  he  practised  a  reserve  of  speech  and 
manner  which  I  know  led  more  than  one  of  his  associates  to 
misunderstand  him  and  to  leave  him.  I  did  not  wonder  at  it, 
for  during  the  whole  time  I  was  with  him  I  cannot  recollect 
that  I  ever  received  a  word  of  sympathetic  encouragement  from 
him;  he  did  his  work,  and  shunned  and  shrank  from  anything 
like  unnecessary  talk  about  it,  and  he  expected  others  to  do  the 
same. 

"  I  am  sorry  you  are  going,"  said  Mr.  Lowder  to  me  as  I  was 
leaving,  "  for  I  think  we  have  understood  one  another." 

"I  think  we  have,"  said  I,  and  so  we  parted.  But  I  felt  sure 
that  while  life  lasted  whatever  feeling  he  may  have  entertained  for 
me  would  remain,  and  it  was  so.  I  saw  it  and  felt  it  whenever  I 
met  him  in  after  years.  And  as  time  went  on  he  appeared  to  me 
more  genial,  his  face  irradiated  with  a  smile  when  you  met  him, 
and  the  expression  was  softer,  even,  at  times,  to  sweetness. 

One  who  perhaps  knew  him  best  of  all  says — 5 

He  had  two  different  sides  to  his  character ;  the  one  he  was 
most  known  by,  I  suppose,  was  distant  and  stern.  On  the  other 
hand,  he  was  gentle,  kind,  and  tender;  his  sternness  came  often 
quite  as  much  from  shyness  (for  he  was  very  shy),  and  his  distance 
from  great  reserve,  as  from  anything  else.  You  should  have  seen 
him  with  the  sick  and  dying  to  know  what  he  was.  His  whole  face 
softened,  and  the  gentle  tone  of  his  voice,  and  the  movement 
even  of  his  hands,  as  he  touched  the  sick  person,  must  have  been 
soothing. 

I  was  sent  for  (another  writes)  to  be  with  a  woman  dying 
of  typhus  fever.  She  was  a  good  woman.  I  saw  she  was  just 
passing  away,  so  I  sent  for  Mr.  Lowder.  He  came  at  once,  and 
never  shall  I  forget  his  tenderness.  The  sick  woman  was,  to 
use  the  poor  people's  expression,  "  dying  hard  " — quite  deaf  and 
speechless.     He  fanned  hei  and  bathed  her  lips,  while  I  was 


TENDERNESS  TO  THE  LOST. 


119 


attending  to  other  things ;  and  he  literally  prayed  her  away,  each 
prayer  fitting  in  as  she  was  gradually  passing  on,  and  when  at  the 
last  I  touched  him,  almost  a  burst  of  thanksgiving  broke  from 
him,  for  she  had  indeed  a  wretched  home. 

One  of  the  Sisters  who  worked  for  him  in  Calvert 
Street  told  the  writer  how  greatly  she  was  struck  by  his 
tenderness  on  one  occasion.  It  was  New  Year's  Eve,  just 
after  the  midnight  service,  and  she  had  locked  up  the  house 
and  gone  to  bed,  when  there  was  a  ring  at  the  gate.  She 
went  down,  and  found  Father  Lowder  waiting  at  the  door 
with  a  poor  miserable  woman  whom  he  had  saved  from 
throwing  herself  over  the  bridge,  and  whom  he  had  brought 
to  the  Sisters  for  shelter.  It  was  a  terrible  sight,  for  the 
poor  creature  was  tearing,  screaming,  and  throwing  herself 
about — a  sight  which  few  could  look  upon  without  their 
faces  expressing  horror.  But  in  the  midst  of  their  struggle 
with  the  poor  thing,  the  Sister  said  she  could  hardly  help 
staring  at  Mr.  Lowder,  for  his  face  was  absolutely  shining 
with  love,  compassion,  and  tenderness :  there  was  nothing 
else  to  be  seen  there  ;  it  seemed,  she  said,  as  if  fatherly  pity 
and  yearning  affection  streamed  down  from  his  countenance 
upon  the  poor  lost  one,  as  though  he  saw  nothing  but  one 
suffering  and  enslaved,  felt  nothing  except  longings  to 
comfort  and  to  save  her.  "He  came  back  again,"  the 
Sister  said,  "  the  first  thing  in  the  morning  to  see  after  her, 
and  try  and  persuade  her  to  something  better." 

No  wonder  that  another  should  write  :  "  I  used  long  ago 
to  say  to  myself  that  if  I  were  sunk  in  the  depths  of  sin  and 
degradation,  I  should  never  fear  him,  or  think  that  he  would 
turn  from  me,'* 


120 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


After  his  death  one  of  his  cousins  wrote  from  Yoko- 
hama : — 

I  never  have  forgotten  and  never  shall  forget  the  day  when 
first  Cousin  Charles  came,  and,  singling  me  out  from  among  my 
eight  hundred  school-fellows,  took  my  hand  in  his  and  made 
himself  my  friend.  That  day,  and  the  days  I  spent  with  him 
at  St.  Barnabas'  and  subsequently  at  St.  George's-in-the-East,  are 
among  the  few  happy  recollections  of  my  school  life.  I  loved 
him,  because  I  always  felt  that  he  loved  and  sympathized  with  me 
though  I  was  but  a  child.  He  never  was  angry  with  me,  or 
rebuked  me,  though  I  needed  it  often  enough;  but  for  that  very 
reason  I  dreaded  to  grieve  him,  and  so  was  unconsciously  led  by 
him.  I  feel  that  I  owe  more  to  him  than  to  any  one  with  whom  I 
was  brought  into  contact  in  my  early  days,  for  he  it  was  who  first 
implanted  in  my  heart  a  manly  spirit,  by  teaching  me  the  true 
courage  of  a  good  conscience.  Thus  has  his  influence  been 
carried  to  the  very  antipodes  of  his  life's  work. 

How  interested  he  used  to  be  (another  says)  in  all  my  little 
silly  affairs,  ball-going,  and  nonsense  of  that  sort,  because  it 
interested  me,  I  think  the  strongest  point  in  his  character,  and 
one  not  often  met  with,  was  his  great  "  large-mindedness  " — I  do 
not  know  how  else  to  express  it.  I  always  think  of  him  as  one 
ready  and  willing  to  "eat  with  publicans  and  sinners,"  and  be 
friends  with  them  as  well  as  with  worldly  people.  Some  good 
men  get  on  with  worldly  people,  and  like  their  society  and  that 
of  great  people,  but  Mr.  Lowder,  without  liking  it  or  enjoying  it 
particularly,  made  himself  one  with  all.  What  a  simple,  grand, 
selfless  nature  it  was !  his  few  faults  all  on  the  surface,  and 
altogether  coming  from  his  eager,  buoyant  nature. 

It  was  this  single-hearted  simplicity  which  seems  to 
have  most  of  all  impressed  good  laymen  who  knew  him 
well.    One  of  these,  Mr.  Charrington,  who  had  been  his 


PERSE  VERANCE. 


121 


fcllow-student  at  King's  College,  and  through  whom, 
eventually,  he  came  to  St.  George's,  says  oi  him— 

He  never  turned  about — always  went  straight  before  him.  If 
people  opposed  him  he  did  not  argue,  but  went  on,  turning 
neither  to  right  nor  to  left.  He  had  all  the  odds  against  him 
when  he  began  his  Mission,  and  I  think  one  secret  of  his  success 
was  his  genial  don/iomie  and  gentleness  combined  with  perfect 
courage.  He  knew  what  he  meant  to  do,  and  went  straight  to 
his  point,  I  never  heard  him  speak  in  a  tone  of  complaint  or 
irritation ;  he  always  made  the  best  of  things,  although  he  must 
have  had  very  much  more  than  falls  to  the  lot  of  most  of  the 
clergy  of  misrepresentation  and  obloquy  to  contend  with.  He 
possessed  immense  moral  courage,  and  when  once  he  had  de- 
termined to  undertake  any  particular  work,  he  persevered  un- 
flinchingly, unless  compelled  to  abandon  it  for  want  of  sufficient 
pecuniary  support.  How  Mr.  Lowder  succeeded  in  maintaining 
all  the  works  of  St.  George's  Mission  (including  the  erection  of 
the  beautiful  church  of  St.  Peter's  and  the  schools)  is  almost 
miraculous.  Doubtless  the  incessant  anxiety  inseparable  from 
the  work  he  had  undertaken  very  materially  weakened  his  con- 
stitution, and  shortened  a  life  which,  had  it  been  passed  in  the 
ease  and  natural  charms  of  a  country  living,  might  have  been 
prolonged  for  many  years.  No  one  more  thoroughly  enjoyed  the 
beauties  of  Nature  than  Mr.  Lowder.  To  him  London  had  no 
natural  charms,  and  he  was  too  glad  when  the  opportunity  pre- 
sented itself  to  him  of  spending  a  portion  of  the  last  two  or  three 
years  of  his  active  life  in  this  place,*  for  which,  and  for  its  Rector 
and  inhabitants,  he  always  felt  a  very  sincere  regard. 

In  Mr.  Lowder  the  Sisters  found  a  man  they  could  work  with, 
and  they  have  changed  the  whole  character  of  the  district  where 
they  live. 

Another  layman,  who  knew  him  well,  writes : — 


*  Qhislehuvst, 


122 


CHARLES  LOIVDER. 


It  is  now  about  thirty  years  since  I  first  met  Lowder.  I  was 
then  living  at  Stoke  Newington,  where  the  new  district  parish  of 
St.  Matthias'  had  been  formed,  and  we  were  intent  upon  building 
a  church.  Mr.  Brett,  the  founder  of  that  work,  drew  round  him, 
at  our  anniversaries,  many  well-known  Churchmen,  and  among 
them,  more  than  once,  came  Lowder.  He  was  then  a  tall, 
handsome  young  man,  having  the  fearless  eye  and  firmly  set 
mouth,  the  high  spirit,  combined  with  a  genial  sense  of  fun,  that 
we  like  to  associate  with  our  idea  of  the  typical  Englishman. 
When,  soon  afterwards,  we  heard  that  he  had  left  his  West  End 
curacy,  and  had  been  sent  to  set  up  the  banner  of  the  Cross  in 
the  most  neglected  quarter  of  the  East  of  London,  we  felt  that 
he  had  many  natural  qualifications  for  the  arduous  task.  He 
attacked  the  strongholds  of  vice  in  Ratcliff  Highway  with  the 
same  straightforward  sense  of  duty  and  disregard  of  self  with 
which,  had  the  weapon  of  his  warfare  been  carnal,  not  spiritual, 
he  would  have  stormed  an  enemy's  fortress. 

One  natural  qualification,  however,  and  that  among  the  most 
potent,  he  did  not  possess,  and  on  that  account,  perhaps,  the  seal 
of  God's  hand  was  the  more  clearly  stamped  upon  his  work.  He 
had  no  pretension  to  eloquence.  He  spoke  earnestly,  but  often 
with  apparent  difificulty.  In  the  slow,  discouraging  process  of 
gaining  the  confidence  of  a  people  ignorant  of  religion  and 
suspicious  of  its  ministers,  he  owed  much  to  his  transparent 
sincerity,  and  to  a  bonhoinie  which  helped  them  to  realize  that, 
in  his  mouth,  the  words  "  my  brethren "  were  no  mere  con- 
ventional form  of  address,  but  the  expression  of  the  love  and 
devotion  of  a  life. 

On  the  rare  occasions  when  I  was  able  to  gain  a  few  minutes 
of  his  society  in  my  own  family  circle,  there  was  a  delightful 
geniality  in  his  manner  that  made  his  little  visits  bright  spots  to 
look  upon ;  and  his  affectionate  interest  in  my  wife,  whom  he  had 
known  as  a  schoolgirl,  and  in  our  children,  never  flagged. 

He  v/as  a  very  energetic  worker.  Frequently  he  would  dash 
into  my  office  in  the  City,  when  abroad  upon  the  never-ending 


PATIENCE  AND  INDUSTRY. 


123 


labour  of  obtaining  funds  for  his  Mission  works,  write  a  few  lines, 
or  in  a  few  brief  words  give  his  message,  and  then  depart  as 
rapidly  as  he  came.  I  cannot  remember  one  occasion  on  which 
he  was  persuaded  to  remain  for  a  few  minutes'  rest  and  refresh] 
ment.  And  yet,  withal,  he  never  appeared  despondent  or  im- 
patient.   It  was  always  the  same  brave,  cheerful  countenance. 

He  used  to  make  me  feel  ashamed  by  the  cordial  way  in 
which  he  always  acknowledged  my  assistance,  which  was,  in  truth, 
very  trifling.  It  was  almost  entirely  in  connection  with  the  ac- 
counts of  the  income  and  expenditure  of  the  Mission.  These  we 
had  to  furnish  annually,  and  sometimes  it  was  a  little  difficult  to 
arrange  them.  I  always  had  the  most  comfortable  position  his 
rooms  offered,  and  often  he  would  place  himself  by  my  side  in  a 
constrained  attitude,  and,  with  the  perspiration  standing  on  his 
forehead,  pore  over  the  puzzling  figures  till  we  had  reduced  them 
to  order.  This  was  very  uncongenial  work  for  him,  and  might 
have  been  expected  to  bring  out  any  latent  pettiness  of  temper, 
had  such  existed,  but  I  can  truly  say  that  I  never  took  leave  of 
him  without  feeling  for  him  an  increased  love  and  veneration. 
Of  late  years  I  noticed,  with  deep  concern,  that  he  suffered  a 
good  deal  from  indigestion,  and  I  think  that  he  began  to  fear 
lest  his  strength  for  the  work,  which  still  crowded  upon  him, 
should  fail  him ;  but  his  Master  knew  His  faithful  servant,  and 
spared  him  the  sorrow  of  laying  down  his  arms  while  life  remained. 

If  one  may  so  describe  it  (they  are  the  words  of  another 
friend),  he  had  a  way  as  it  were  of  looking  neither  to  the  right  nor 
to  the  left,  but  straight  on,  with  the  one  end  always  before  him, 
God's  greater  glory.  I  remember  one  anniversary  six  or  seven 
years  ago  j  things  were  rather  gloomy  and  funds  very  short :  when 
he  was  making  his  speech  he  said,  "  It  makes  no  difference  to 
me  whether  I  go  away,  or  stay  here  and  continue  my  work;  I 
merely  wish  to  do  God's  will."  This  was  no  technical  form  of 
speech  with  him,  but  the  moving  principle  of  his  whole  life  in 
small  as  well  as  great  matters. 


124 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


He  was  always  fair,  and  always  a  gentleman,  and  therefore 
he  was  always  respectfully  listened  to  (another  said,  speaking  cf 
his  attendance  at  public  meetings).  He  entered  enthusiastically 
into  all  schemes  for  strengthening  the  Church,  or  promoting  the 
social  happiness  and  welfare  of  the  people,  and  he  was  keenly 
interested  in  all  the  great  questions  of  the  day.  He  used  to 
hesitate  a  good  deal  in  speaking,  but  his  hesitation  was  v/ith  a 
purpose,  for  he  brought  out  the  right  word  in  the  proper  place, 
which  cannot  always  be  said  of  those  who  are  more  fluent. 

One  of  his  most  marked  qualities  was  his  love  for 
children,  and  they  were  devoted  to  him.  They  never  were 
afraid  of  him,  but  always  ran  up  to  him  whenever  he 
stopped  in  the  street  to  speak  to  them,  which  he  con- 
stantly did.  There  was  soon  a  little  group  round  him, 
and  he  used  to  gather  the  little  ones  inside  his  cloak. 
The  day  before  he  left  the  parish  for  the  last  time,  he  was 
playing  with  some  tiny  things  in  the  street,  and,  wrapping 
his  cloak  round  them,  he  brought  them  into  the  Clergy 
House,  and  gave  each  some  strawberries  which  had  been 
sent  to  him,  to  their  great  delight.  At  such  times,  or  when 
he  went  away  for  his  holiday,  he  threw  off  his  cares  and 
was  another  man.  A  layman  who  helped  him  occasionally 
says — 

One  day,  during  the  Mission  of  1874,  I  saw  him  come  out  of 
church  after  Evensong.  There  were  a  number  of  children  in  the 
church — not  trim  little  country  children  with  rosy  faces,  but  the 
poor  little  half-clad  children  of  the  London  Docks, — and  they  came 
crowding  round  him.  Three  or  four  took  hold  of  the  corners  and 
edge  of  his  long  cloak,  and  spread  it  out  like  a  tent,  while  half  a 
dozen  more  crept  underneath,  laughing  and  shouting  and  struggling ; 
and  so  he  went  down  the  street  with  all  the  rest  at  his  heels,  to  the 
utter  amazement  of  two  rather  precise-looking  country  parsons  who 


LOVE  01-  TRAVEL. 


125 


had  come  to  see  what  was  going  on  at  St.  Peter's,  and  who  stood 
watching  him  and  exclaiming,  "Why,  they're  all  round  him !" 

In  the  Guild  of  St.  Katherlne,  which  was  for  the  elder 
girls,  and  of  which  he  had  the  charge,  he  took  the  greatest 
interest,  drawing  up  their  rules  and  the  office  which  they 
used  once  a  month.  He  used  to  come  to  their  meetings 
and  keep  them  all  merry  with  odd  dry  jokes  or  amusing 
stories.  On  their  annual  festival  he  spent  the  whole  evening 
with  them,  entering  into  all  their  amusements  with  almost 
boyish  freshness  ;  he  was  full  of  fun  when  once  he  threw 
off  his  cares,  and  in  teaching  them  how  to  get  up  charades 
used  to  become  almost  as  excited  as  they  were. 
^         One  of  his  curates  who  travelled  with  him  wrote — 

No  one  could  say  he  really  knew  Father  Lowder  who  had 
merely  seen  him  within  his  own  parish.  There  he  was  indeed 
"the  Father,"  to  whom  every  one  looked  up  with  mingled 
reverence  and  love ;  but  to  most,  at  least  during  the  latter  years 
of  his  ministry,  he  Vi^as  a  man  absorbed  in  his  work  and  ascetic  in 
his  habits,  though  underneath  that  apparent  frigidity  not  a  few  had 
learnt  how  warm  was  the  heart  that  beat,  and  deep  the  power  of 
sympathy  with  the  sorrows  of  others.  Still  it  was  necessary  to 
have  seen  him  far  away  from  the  oppressing  cares  and  anxieties 
of  his  parish  to  discover  what  he  was  made  of. 

I  had  the  pleasure  of  travelling  for  a  month  with  him  in  the 
summer  of  1873.  It  was  my  first  visit  to  the  Continent,  and 
I  found  in  him  an  excellent  cicerone. 

What  struck  me  most  in  that  tour  was  the  complete  change 
'  which  came  over  the  man ;  he  was  the  high-spirited,  light-hearted, 
congenial  companion,  at  one  time  fairly  beating  the  guide  by  the 
I  pace  he.  walked  (the  man  actually  refused  to  go  further  with  us), 
or,  as  on  that  same  day,  after  eight  or  nine  hours'  hard  tramp, 
and  after  having  been  wetted  through  and  through  by  a  terrific 


126 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


thunderstorm,  running  the  whole  way  down  the  zigzag  path 
leading  from  the  summit  of  the  Brevent  into  Chamounix.  Yet, 
despite  the  unclerical  garb  he  assumed  in  walking,  consisting 
of  a  white  flannel  suit  and  straw  hat,  no  one  would  have  doubted 
what  he  was,  and  I  felt  not  a  little  proud  of  being  companion 
to  one  who,  wherever  we  went,  attracted  so  much  attention  on 
account  of  his  noble,  saintly  face,  and  dignified,  courteous  manner. 

"  The  Father  "  was  certainly  the  bravest  man  I  ever  met  j  I 
do  not  think  he  knew  what  fear  was.  He  was  passionately 
fond  of  all  athletic  exercises,  such  as  riding,  rowing,  and  skating, 
and  above  all  of  mountaineering,  in  which  he  frequently  won 
the  admiration  of  his  guides.  This  natural  gift  of  courage 
supported  him  in  the  tremendous  difficulties  of  his  work  at  the 
Docks.  The  half-savage  denizens  of  that  part  soon  learnt  to 
respect  a  man  whom  they  had  seen  stopping  many  a  street  fight, 
or  facing  an  infuriated  mob,  or  ministering  to  the  bodily  and 
spiritual  wants  of  the  victims  to  Asiatic  cholera,  sometimes 
carrying  the  sufferers  in  his  arms  to  the  hospital.  It  was  true 
courage,  and  of  the  highest  type,  the  spirit  of  the  Christian 
martyrs  of  old,  which  enabled  him  to  live  down  the  fanatical 
opposition  that  raged  against  the  introduction  of  Catholic  truth 
into  their  midst,  and  to  stand  firm  when  his  own  fellow-workers 
more  than  once  deserted  him.  He  despised  popularity,  and 
never  shrank  from  anything  he  considered  a  duty  for  fear  of  man 
on  the  one  hand,  or  to  secure  good  opinion  on  the  other.  An 
old  friend,  in  allusion  to  this,  has  instanced  the  calm  way  in  which 
he  would  say  his  office  with  uncovered  head  in  a  crowded  railway 
carriage,  or  "  say  grace  "  in  some  equally  crowded  dining-room  in 
the  City.  And  yet,  with  all  this,  he  took  the  lead,  and  men  of  all 
grades  in  society  naturally  gave  way  to  him,  and  were  ready  to 
follow  him,  trusting  to  his  intrepid  spirit  and  undeviating  rectitude 
of  purpose. 

Among  his  own  people  he  was  king;  he  took  the  lead  in 
every  work,  and  when  not  actually  engaged  in  it — away,  it  might 
be,  on  the  Continent — it  was  felt  that  he  overlooked  and  directed 


REVERENCE. 


127 


us  all.  The  secret  of  his  ascendency  over  his  subordinate  workers, 
clerical  and  lay,  was  that  we  knew  he  never  asked  another  to  do 
what  he  would  not  do  himself,  and  that  he  never  shrank  from  any 
work  because  he  knew  that  it  was  not  exactly  that  in  which  he 
shone.  As  an  instance  of  this,  I  remember  one  Lent  he  showed 
us  an  anonymous  letter  he  had  received  from  some  one  in  Old 
Gravel  Lane,  suggesting  that  the  congregation  would  be  better 
pleased  if  he  were  to  ask  either  of  two  of  the  assistant  clergy, 
whose  names  were  mentioned,  to  preach  the  "Three  Hours' 
Agony  "  on  Good  Friday  instead  of  himself.  He  said  so  humbly, 
and  without  any  expression  of  anger  tov/ards  the  writer,  "  I  know 
I  cannot  preach  as  well  as  you,  but  I  think  it  my  duty  to  preach 
on  that  day."  In  the  same  spirit  he  would  always  listen  atten- 
tively and  humbly  to  the  sermons  and  instructions  of  his  young 
curates,  and  hardly  ever  criticised  what  he  had  heard  from  them. 

He  never  shrank,  however,  from  administering  a  rebuke  when 
he  thought  it  was  required,  and  sometimes,  as  we  thought,  at  in- 
opportune times ;  but  I  am  sure  it  cost  him  real  pain,  and  was 
done  from  a  stern  sense  of  duty.  It  was  no  slight  tribute  to  his 
personal  character  that  men  would  take  such  public  rebukes 
from  him,  which  they  would  have  resented  keenly  from  any  one 
else. 

In  all  religious  ministrations  he  was  intensely  reverent ; 
never  rapid  or  hurried,  a  matter  of  great  importance  when 
the  congregation  was  chiefly  composed  of  poor.  They 
often  spoke  of  the  difference  between  him  and  others  in 
this  respect.  "I  never  knew  before  how  beautiful  that 
chapter  is,"  one  of  his  people  said ;  "  when  I  went  home  I 
read  it  for  myself,  but  it  was  nothing  the  same,  I  wish  the 
Father  would  always  read  the  lessons  ;  he  makes  the  Bible 
speak."  The  poor  people  used  to  say,  "  I  don't  like  to  come 
in  late  to  church  when  the  Father  is  there,  for  even  if  his 
back  is  turned  I  feel  he  knows  it."    He  used  to  impress 


I2S 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


upon  them  to  be  very  careful  about  their  thanksgiving  after 
Holy  Communion,  and  not  to  hurry  out  of  church  directly 
the  service  was  over. 

One  of  his  curates  who  worked  with  him  to  the  end 
has  written  the  few  notes  of  recollection  which  follow  : — 

His  extreme  reverence  in  prayer  at  all  times  was  most  re- 
markable ;  his  attitude  at  such  times,  and  especially  when  kneeling 
down  for  his  prayer  before  preaching,  was  in  itself  a  sermon ;  at 
such  times  a  very  calm  and  sweet  smile  would  play  on  his 
features.  A  priest  who  saw  him  on  the  last  Sunday  that  he  spent 
at  St.  Peter's,  said  to  me  that  he  had  often  observed  this,  but 
never  so  strongly  as  on  this  last  Sunday.  I  remember  some 
years  since,  when  walking  with  him  on  Chislehurst  Common, 
he  proposed  our  saying  our  office  together  :  he  was  just  as  recol- 
lected and  devout  then  as  if  he  were  in  church  or  in  our  oratory 
at  home.  And  this  reverence  was  ever  the  same,  however  great 
his  fatigue,  especially  during  the  last  year  of  his  life.  Shortly 
before  leaving  England,  when  much  wearied  with  a  school 
excursion,  we  said  our  Evensong  and  Compline  together;  in 
spite  of  his  fatigue,  there  was  no  lounging  or  want  of  the  same 
reverent  posture  which  always  so  remarkably  distinguished 
him. 

He  was  scarcely  ever  to  be  seen  really  vexed ;  but  I  remember 
once,  in  1874,  when  there  was  a  serious  overflow  of  the  Thames, 
and  he  had  been  working  up  to  his  knees  in  water  for  some  hours, 
carrying  the  children  out  of  school,  we  had  got  him  some  hot 
brandy  and  water :  he  seemed  really  annoyed  at  what  he  thought 
any  fuss  being  made.  But  his  care  for  others  was  as  great  as 
his  want  of  care  for  himself ;  if  he  thought  any  of  the  clergy  in 
the  house  were  ill,  he  was  always  the  first  to  make  them  rest 

To  know  him  was  indeed  to  love  him  ;  and  the  viore  you 
knew  of  him  the  greater  grew  the  love.  The  name  of  "the 
Father  "  but  expresses  what  he  was  to  all,  priests  and  people  too. 
He  was  always  the  same — stern,  people  often  thought  him,  but 


SELF-CONTROL. 


129 


never  so  in  reality,  full  of  warm  love  and  sympathy  for  and 
with  all. 

He  thoroughly  hated  all  unreality,  and  "  Ritualism,"  so-called, 
was  extremely  distasteful  to  him ;  he  loved  a  grand  ceremonial 
because  it  was  to  him  the  outward  expression  of  truths  he  held 
most  sacred,  and  a  means  of  impressing  them  on  the  uneducated. 

He  never  passed  over  any  fault  or  mistake  in  those  who 
worked  with  him ;  and  would,  perhaps  weeks  after,  abruptly  and 
in  the  middle  of  the  meal,  ask  why  this  or  that  was  done  or  not 
done,  as  the  case  might  be,  something  he  had  noticed,  but  had 
omitted  to  speak  of  at  the  time.  He  was  so  thoroughly  just  and 
fair,  that  one  could  always  receive  in  good  part  anything  he  might 
say.  He  never  shrank  from  speaking  what  he  thought,  whoever 
the  person  might  be  whom  he  had  to  reprove. 

This  sketch  of  Charles  Lowder's  character  may  be 
concluded  in  the  following  words  of  his  only  brother,  and 
of  the  friend  under  whom  he  first  worked  in  London  : — 

In  writing  freely  of  my  brother,  I  may  say  what  I  think  others 
have  said  elsewhere,  that  his  natural  gifts,  tliough  of  a  high  order, 
would  not  have  won  him  the  esteem  or  the  success  which  he 
attained.  Though  a  sufficiently  good  classical  scholar  to  take  a 
second  class,  his  tastes  were  not  literary.  He  talked  comparatively 
little,  and  was  not  great  at  general  conversation,  though  he  was 
neither  uninterested  nor  unacquainted  with  what  was  going  on 
around  him.  It  was  a  real  pleasure  to  him  to  be  in  ladies'  society, 
and  no  one  was  more  courteous.  In  the  early  part  of  his  clerical 
career,  which  really  began  at  Tetbury,  his  chief  interest  was  shown 
in  the  schools,  and  in  the  teaching  of  the  elder  boys,  some  of 
whom  turned  out  remarkably  well.  I  do  not  think  he  had  any 
special  taste  for  ritual  as  such ;  it  was  to  him  a  means  of  teaching 
the  great  Catholic  verities.  It  was  an  iron  will,  exercised  first  on 
himself,  and  a  constant  control  over  himself  in  both  word  and 
deed,  which  made  him  all  that  he  was.    Hence  he  had,  to  the 

K 


130 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


best  of  my  belief,  none  of  these  sins  which  overtake  young  men 
in  their  college  days,  either  of  extravagance  or  self-indulgence,  or 
worse,  to  trouble  him  with  their  remembrance.  He  was  essentially 
pure,  upright,  and  conscientious,  and  also  very  simple  and  really 
devout ;  as  a  boy  I  noticed  this.  He  erred  in  judging  others,  in 
his  early  days  at  least,  by  his  own  standard,  and  thus  appeared 
often  severe,  brusque,  abrupt,  and  wanting  in  sympathy.  He  was 
too  true  to  pay  compliments,  or  even  to  appear  to  be  giving  praise. 
Hence  he  often  made  people  afraid  of  him,  without  cause.  After 
he  solemnly  gave  himself  up  to  his  Mission  work,  he  never  looked 
back.  He  chose  poverty,  misery,  and  unsightliness  for  his 
sphere,  and  he  only  indulged  his  love  for  scenery  in  his  holidays. 
His  choice  made  him  a  celibate ;  it  was,  I  believe,  a  real  self-denial 
*-o  him,  for  he  was  not  without  those  natural  feelings  which  make  a 
man  desire  companionship,  a  home,  and  the  pleasure  of  children. 
But  the  secret  of  his  life  was  the  simplicity  with  which  he  obeyed 
his  Master's  call :  "  Take  up  thy  cross,  and  follow  Me." 

All  who  knew  him  intimately  knew  another  thing  about  him — 
that,  while  one  secret  of  his  influence  over  others  was  his  almost 
habitual  joyousness,  his  solid  piety  was  the  secret  of  his  joyous- 
ness.  "Out  of  the  same  vessel,"  as  an  ancient  writer  puts  it, 
"flowed  forth  oil  and  honey — the  oil  of  goodness,  the  honey  of 
joy."  With  that  writer,  we  cannot  but  admire  the  spiritual 
warrior,  how  "  from  the  rock  of  patience  he  drew  forth,  at  one 
and  the  same  moment,  honey  and  oil ;  how  his  mercy  towards 
the  vicious  suffered  no  diminution  from  their  vice,  and  his  joy  in 
labouring  for  them  lost  nothing  by  his  own  suffering;  nay,  how 
his  mercy  and  his  joy  were  alike  increased — ex  dolore  deledatio,  ex 
passione  compassio."  This  was  eminently  the  case  with  Charles 
Lowder.  He  was  a  workman  who  did  his  part,  for  God's  glory, 
and  not  for  man's  approval;  and  he  did  it  promptly,  bravely, 
patiently,  and  humbly. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


WORK  IN  THE  MISSION  DISTRICTS. 
1856-1S60. 

"To  love  and  bear ;  to  hope  till  Hope  creates 
From  its  own  wreck  the  thing  it  contemplates." 

Soon  after  Charles  Lowder  had  made  his  home  in  Calvert 
Street,  he  was  joined  by  two  clergymen,  Mr.  Collins  and 
Mr.  de  Burgh,  and  by  two  laymen  intending  to  take  orders. 
They  lived,  indeed,  "  in  the  rough  "  at  first,  and  perhaps  it 
may  be  said  that  from  this  time  Mr.  Lowder  never  lived  in 
any  other  way. 

There  are  just  two  rooms,  one  on  either  side  of  the 
little  entrance  passage  of  the  house  in  Calvert  Street  where 
the  clergy  of  St.  Peter's  still  live  ;  one  of  these  was  Mr. 
Lowder's  sitting-room  and  library,  the  other  the  common 
dining-room.  Over  these  are  two  rooms  occupied  by  two 
curates,  and  on  the  third  story  two  more,  one  a  ciirate's 
room,  the  other  the  Vicar's  bedroom.  It  is  hard  to  imagine 
anything  more  homely,  simple,  and  without  ornament  than 
this  Mission  House.  In  1856  the  clergy  also  occupied  what 
is  now  the  adjoining  Sisters'  house,  and  the  first  thing  done 
was  to  open  a  room  in  the  latter,  licensed  by  the  Bishop, 
for  daily  prayers  and  frequent  preaching.    "  Here,"  Mr, 


(32 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


Lowder  wrote,  "  was  gradually  gathered  a  little  congrega- 
tion." 

This  room  is  now  used  as  the  Sisters'  oratory,  and  on 
the  altar  lies  the  little  wooden  crucifix  which  the  priest 
at  Zell-am-See  placed  in  Charles  Lowder's  hands  after  his 
death,  and  gave  to  his  sister. 

A  little  choir  of  boys  was  formed  ;  the  first  choir  boy, 
who  was  caught  in  the  street,  tamed,  taught,  and  brought 
to  Confirmation  and  Communion,  is  still  living,  with  his  wife 
and  children,  in  the  parish. 

But  a  larger  place  of  worship  was  urgently  needed,  and 
on  the  Thursday  before  Advent  in  1856  a  temporary  iron 
chapel,  which  had  been  built  in  the  garden  of  the  Mission 
House,  was  dedicated,  under  the  name  of  "  the  Chapel  of 
the  Good  Shepherd."  Here,  from  the  first,  the  daily 
Eucharist  was  celebrated — on  Sundays  at  eight  and  eleven, 
on  week-days  at  seven.  The  chapel  was  soon  thronged, 
and  the  band  of  communicants  whom  Mr.  Lowder  left  at 
St.  Peter's  began  gradually  to  be  formed  as,  one  after 
another,  those  whose  hearts  had  been  touched  were  care- 
fully taught  in  classes  held  for  Confirmation  candidates,  and 
for  instruction  in  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

There  seems  to  have  been  no  excitement  connected 
with  these  conversions,  but  when  once  Mr.  Lowder  got 
hold  of  a  man,  he  did  not  let  him  go,  and  the  work  became 
real  and  solid.  Mr.  Bryan  King  wrote  of  the  "over- 
whelming force  "  with  which  the  issue  of  twenty-four  years' 
labour  and  trial  was  brought  to  his  heart  on  the  day  of  Mr. 
Lowder's  funeral,  September  17,  1880.  "I  could  only  call 
to  mind,"  he  added,  "  some  five  or  six  communicants  of  the 
church  as  resident  within  the  present  parish  of  St.  Peter 


VISITS  TO  ST.  BARNABAS'. 


on  the  formation  of  the  Mission,  whereas  at  present  their 
number  is,  I  beHeve,  about  five  hundred." 
To  his  mother  Charles  Lowder  wrote  : — 

Mission  House,  February  6,  1857. 
I  was  obliged  to  be  at  St.  Barnabas'  again  on  Wednesday,  and 
in  the  evening  I  was  presented  with  a  most  beautiful  testimonial, 
in  the  shape  of  a  complete  service  of  gilt  Communion  plate  for 
private  celebrations,  but  large  enough  for  our  present  use  in  the 
chapel.  The  box  itself  forms  an  altar  with  a  consecrated  slab, 
and  super-altar  with  candlesticks  and  cross.  Some  of  the  pieces 
are  gifts  of  particular  friends :  the  cruets  are  given  by  the  poor ; 
Mr.  Liddell  gave  the  chalice  ;  so  that  it  forms  a  very  interesting 
memorial  of  my  connection  with  St.  Barnabas',  and,  as  we  shall 
use  it  here,  a  connecting  link  between  the  two.  When  you  come 
up  I  shall  like  to  show  it  you.  Mr.  Liddell's  speech  in  presenting 
it  was  so  kind  that  I  really  felt  completely  overcome,  and  scarcely 
knew  what  to  say.  The  thaw  commenced  here  yesterday,  and  of 
course  the  streets  are  dreadfully  dirty.  It  is  of  no  use  asking  you 
to  be  careful  in  walking  out,  for  you  seem  to  enjoy  your  tumbles, 
but  you  may  meet  with  one  too  many. 

Your  dutiful  and  affectionate  son, 

Charles. 

From  this  time  Mr.  Lowder  went  every  year  to  the  feast 
for  rich  and  poor  at  St.  Barnabas'  on  the  dedication-day.  A 
friend  who  was  always  present  said  that  it  was  most  re- 
markable to  see  how  all  faces  beamed  when  he  entered  the 
room,  especially  those  of  the  poor,  and  how  one  shout  of 
welcome  and  applause  greeted  him.  Hardly  any  other 
name  was  cheered  at  that  feast  as  his  was,  and  just  as 
warmly  after  he  had  been  absent  for  years  as  on  his  first 
reappearance  after  leaving  St.  Barnabas'.  "  I  can  see  him 
now,"  his  friend  says,  "  catching  up  our  tiny  M  on  his 


134 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


shoulder,  and  carrying  her  round  the  room  to  make  the 
quite,  after  dinner  was  over,  for  the  poor  children  in  the 
schools  to  have  their  day  in  the  country.  Mr.  Lowder 
always  made  this  quite  himself." 

Women's  help  was  of  course  needed,  and  this  was  given 
at  first  by  two  ladies,  who  took  lodgings  in  the  districts, 
where  they  taught  a  small  school,  and  also  visited  the  poor. 
They  tried  to  persuade  mothers  to  bring  their  children  to 
be  baptised  ;  but  the  ignorance  of  the  people  was  so  great 
that  they  seemed  to  think  that  Baptism  was  something  like 
vaccination,  and  asked  if  it  would  hurt  them. 

In  the  spring  of  1S57,  Dr.  Neale's  sister  offered  her 
services,  and  began  to  form  a  Sisterhood  in  connection 
with  the  Mission.  There  was  indeed  much  to  cheer  on 
the  brave  Missioners.  They  had  begun  their  work  in  the 
south-east  part  of  St.  George's  parish,  in  a  district  cut 
off  from  the  rest  by  the  Docks,  and,  with  part  of  Wapping 
and  Shadwell,  forming  an  island.*  About  six  months 
later,  a  promising  beginning  of  another  Mission  was 
made  in  the  western  part  of  St.  George's  parish,  at 
Wellclose  Square.  Here  a  church,  originally  built  for  a 
Danish  congregation  in  1696,  became  vacant ;  and,  being 
admirably  situated  for  Mission  purposes,  Mr.  Lowder 
determined  to  secure  it  for  the  Church  of  England.  He 
rented  it  from  the  trustees,  and  began  services  in  it  in 
Lent,  1857.  Soon  after  Easter,  it  was  formally  opened,  when 
the  sermon  was  preached  by  the  late  Dean  Stanley.  Mr. 
Lowder  seems  to  have  thought  that  this  would  eventually 
form  the  head-quarters  of  the  Mission.  It  fell  out  other- 
wise, but  at  this  time,  just  nine  months  after  he  had  left  St 

*  Now  the  parish  of  St.  Peter's-in-the-East. 


LETTER  FROM  BISHOP  WILBERFORCE. 


Barnabas',  there  were  four  clergy  working  in  the  Mission^ 
two  at  Wellclose  Square,  and  two  at  Calvert  Street.  He 
determined,  to  save  the  expense  of  two  establishments,  that 
the  clergy  should  all  live  in  the  Mission  House  which  had 
been  taken  in  Wellclose  Square  ;  so,  abandoning  his  first 
quarters  in  Calvert  Street,  he  gave  them  up  to  the  Sisters, 
some  of  whom  have  remained  there  ever  since. 

It  was  just  at  this  time  that  Bishop  Wilberforce  wrote 
to  Canon  Butler  ; — 

I  quite  long  to  go  and  cast  myself  into  that  Mission ;  ...  if 
only  now  we  had  a  Bishop  of  London  who  would  go  and  spend  a 
day  or  two  in  Wapping  with  those  zealous  men,  what  might  we 
not  do  ?  * 

To  Mr.  Lowder  the  Bishop  wrote  : — 

The  Athenceurn,  May  21,  1857. 

My  dear  Mr.  Lowder, 

I  enclose  you  a  letter  from  a  young  man  of  whom  I 
know  nothing  but  that  he  has  written  to  me  stating  that  he  is  a 
Roman  Catholic,  highly  connected,  but  penniless,  who  longs  to 
enter  our  Church's  Orders  and  work  on  Catholic  grounds. 

You  will  remember  that  I  know  nothing  of  him.  But  if  you 
can  inquire  (which  I  have  no  means  of  doing),  a  zealous  work- 
man seems  to  me  too  precious  a  thing  to  be  lost. 

I  cannot  write  this  without  adding  that  I  have  received  from 
my  dear  friend,  VV.  Butler,  a  most  deeply  interesting  account  of  his 
visit  to  you.  I  beseech  you,  for  Christ's  sake,  whilst  you  give  all 
possible  liberty  to  this  great  movement  with  which  you  are  so 
identified,  yet  zealously  to  watch  to  keep  it  truly  Church  of 
England. 

If  there  is  anything  in  which  I  can  aid  you,  without  in  the 
slightest  degree  interfering  with  the  Bishop  of  London,  call  upon 

*  "Life  of  Bishop  Wilberforce,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  341. 


136 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


me  for  aid.  Two  things  only  occur  to  me — secret  alms  and  secret 
intercessions ;  for  the  first,  call  on  me  when  you  want  help  ;  for 
the  second,  I  will  try  to  offer  them  for  you ;  for  even  though  you 
are  not  in  my  diocese,  you  may  count  on  my  hearty  sympathy  in 
such  a  work  as  yours. 

I  am,  ever  very  truly  yours, 

S.  OXON. 

Nothing  could  be  kinder  than  the  words  with  which 
the  new  Bishop  elect  of  London  had  welcomed  and 
sanctioned  the  missionary  movement  in  the  diocese  to 
which  he  had  just  been  called,  as  his  first  letter  to  Mr. 
Lewder  will  show  : — 

9,  Plain  Parade,  Brighton,  November  13,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, 

Let  me  thank  you  for  sending  me  the  earnest  expres- 
sions expressive  of  the  feelings  with  which  you  have  undertaken 
your  difficult  part  in  St.  George's-in-the-East. 

I  sincerely  trust  that  God  may  bless  all  earnest  and  single- 
hearted  efforts  to  spread  the  Gospel  of  His  Son  through  the  masses 
of  the  metropolis.  You  certainly  may  rely  on  my  readiness  to 
give  what  aid  my  guidance  and  advice  afford. 

I  doubt  not  that  God  will  so  direct  the  zeal  of  those  who  seek 
Him  earnestly  in  prayer,  as  to  save  them  from  any  dangerous 
errors  in  doctrine  or  practice. 

And  though  there  may  be  many  zealous  men  in  the  diocese  to 
which  God  has  called  me,  from  whom  I  must  greatly  differ,  I  still 
trust  that  I  may  be  a  fellow-worker  with  all  who  love  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity. 

Mr.  King  has  communicated  with  me  respecting  the  chapel  to 
be  opened.  I  have  put  him  in  communication  with  Mr.  Lee,  of 
Dean's  Yard,  and  I  hope  all  the  legal  difficulties  may  speedily  be 
arranged,  when  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  see  the  chapel  secured  as  a 
chapel-of-ease. 

Yours  faithfully, 

A.  C.  London  (Elect). 


DISPUTED  RITUAL. 


jp.S. — It  seems  to  me  that  you  are  right  not  to  defer  the 
commencement  of  your  work  in  your  new  chapel  longer  than 
absolutely  necessary.  My  engagements  with  the  candidates  for 
ordination,  and  with  the  sermons  I  have  already  undertaken  to 
preach,  fill  up  my  time  till  the  close  of  this  year.  I  hope  to  be 
settled  at  37,  Lowndes  Square,  after  the  23rd,  my  consecration. 
On  the  24th,  25th,  26th,  and  27th,  I  shall  be  occupied  from  eleven 
to  three  with  candidates  for  ordination,  but  I  would  gladly 
arrange  for  an  interview  with  you  at  any  other  time  after  my  con- 
secration, say  on  Monday,  the  24th,  at  a  quarter  before  eleven.  I 
should  wish,  if  possible,  that  Mr.  King  and  you  should  see  me 
together,  and  explain  the  connection  of  the  Mission  with  the 
parish  church.  I  therefore  name  the  day  and  hour  when  Mr. 
King  is  to  see  me  respecting  the  new  chapel;  but  should  you 
prefer  a  longer  interview,  I  shall  keep  myself  disengaged  on 
Wednesday,  the  26th,  at  three. 

No  one  can  fairly  charge  Charles  Lowder  with  dis- 
loyalty to  that  much-abused  principle  the  "  law."  So 
anxious  was  he  to  act  honestly  within,  the  limits  of  the 
judgment  of  1857,  that  he  applied  to  Sir  Frederick 
Thesiger,  Q.C.,  afterwards  Lord  Chelmsford,  and  to  Dr. 
Deane,  Q.C.,  for  an  opinion  as  to  how  far  the  vestments 
and  lights  were  covered  by  it,  before  continuing  to  use 
them.  It  is  only  necessary  to  give  the  conclusions  of  the 
opinion  which  is  published  verbatim  by  Mr.  Brooks  on 
"  Disputed  Ritual  Ornaments  and  Usages,"  under  sanction 
of  the  E.C.U. 

I.  Upon  the  question  of  Dress,  we  are  of  opinion  that  the 
present  Prayer-book,  taken  in  conjunction  with  the  First  Prayer- 
book  of  Edward  VI.,  sanctions  the  use  of  the  Vestments  worn  by 
Mr.  Lowder  in  the  ministration  of  Holy  Communion,  and  that  he 
may,  in  executing  the  holy  ministry,  lawfully  put  on  a  white  Alb 
plain,  with  a  vestment,  and  that  such  dress  is  according  to  the 


138 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


form  prescribed  in  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  made  and  pub- 
lished by  authority  of  Pariiament. 

2.  On  the  whole,  we  are  of  opinion  that  two  Lights  on  the 
Communion  Table  are  not  forbidden  by  Law,  and  that  Mr. 
Lowder  may  continue  the  use  of  such  Lights.  But  in  this  matter, 
as  well  as  in  that  of  Dress,  usage  to  the  contrary  has  so  long  pre- 
vailed, that  we  do  not  consider  that  he  is  liable  to  punishment  or 
censure  for  celebrating  the  Holy  Communion  without  Lights. 

(Signed)      Frederick  Thesiger. 

J.  Parker  Deane. 

Temple,  May  23,  1857. 

There  were,  however,  those  who  were  on  the  watch  to 
stir  up  difficulties,  and  in  May,  1857,  the  Bishop  wrote 
to  him,  saying  that  representations  had  been  made  to  him 
concerning  "  dresses  and  ceremonies  "  used  in  the  Mission 
chapel  and  in  the  church  at  Wellclose  Square ;  and  he 
desired  that  no  "  dresses "  except  the  ordinaiy  surplice 
should  be  worn  at  Holy  Communion,  that  candles  should 
not  be  lighted  unless  the  darkness  required  it,  that  no 
"  coverings  "  should  be  placed  upon  the  altar  except  such 
as  he  (the  Bishop)  personally  approved  of,  that  no  cross 
should  be  set  upon  the  altar  or  "  depicted  on  the  wall 
behind  it,"  and  that  no  processions  should  be  made  "  with- 
out the  church  or  chapel." 

The  Bishop  wrote  that  these  instructions  were  not 
grounded  upon  the  law  of  the  Church — indeed,  he  had  but 
lately  officially  concurred  in  the  Knightsbridge  judgment, 
affirming  the  legality  of  vestments — but  upon  his  fears 
of  "  approximation  to  Romanism "  and  "  mimicking  of 
Popery  ; "  and  he  expressed  his  opinion  that  "  those  foolish 
ritual  observances  necessarily  tend  to  confound  our  minis- 
trations with  those  of  Roman  Catholic  priests." 


LETTER  TO  THE  BISHOP  OF  LONDON. 


It  is  necessary  to  say  thus  much  as  to  the  Bishop's 
action,  in  order  to  explain  the  following  letters,  which  are 
important,  as  giving  Mr.  Lowder's  convictions  in  his  own 
words.  The  copies  of  the  letters  are  in  his  own  hand- 
writing ;  the  first  is  undated,  but  the  reference  to  Mr,  King 
proves  that  it  was  written  about  the  same  time  as  the 
second  letter. 

.  .  .  Mr.  King  informs  me  that  your  lordship  has  expressed 
some  doubt  as  to  the  legal  obligation  of  the  chasuble  and  altai 
lights.  I  trust  that  we  may  be  enabled  to  remove  these  doubts 
when  we  next  see  your  lordship.  But  without  waiving  this  point, 
I  think  we  may  claim  some  attention  on  the  ground  of  expediency. 
Here,  my  Lord,  are  a  few  clergy  undertaking  a  work  of  acknow- 
ledged importance,  of  vast  difficulty,  and  requiring  self-denial, 
patience,  faith,  and  hopefulness.  They  have  been  invited  in  a 
very  providential  manner  into  a  parish,  of  which  before  they  knew 
nothing,  but  where  there  is  a  wide  and  unoccupied  field  for  their 
labour,  where  they  have  the  entire  confidence  and  good  will  of 
the  Rector,  who  approves  of  their  principles,  and  who  would 
not  willingly  give  his  sanction  to  the  carrying  out  of  any  others. 
Those  principles  I  have  already  set  before  your  lordship ;  they 
are  the  principles  of  the  Catholic  Church,  as  taught  in  the  Creeds, 
Liturgy,  and  ritual  of  the  Church  of  England.  Our  system  is  a 
consistent  one,  to  preach  the  whole  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  as  the 
Church  has  ever  received  it ;  not  only  in  our  sermons,  but  in  the 
visible  teaching  of  sacraments  and  ritual  observances.  To  narrow 
our  liberty  in  carrying  out  this  system,  or  to  mutilate  it  in  points 
which  to  your  lordship  may  seem  unimportant,  but  which  to  us 
are  most  important,  is  to  weaken  and  abridge  when  we  so  much 
need  strength  and  elasticity — is  to  deprive  those  who  have  the 
work  to  do  of  that  spring  and  energy  which  result  from  con- 
fidence in  the  truth  and  consistency  of  their  teaching. 

To  put  it  even  on  a  lower  ground,  the  Church  permits  us  these 


140 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


ceremonies  and  outward  expressions  of  devotion;  and  we  like  them, 

and  find  them  a  help  to  our  own  devotion  and  that  of  our  people. 
Is  it  too  much  to  claim  from  your  lordship  and  the  world  in 
general  that  we  should  be  allowed  the  comfort  of  them  in  a  work 
which  requires  us  to  give  up  other  comforts,  so  that  what  we 
willingly  resign  in  our  own  houses  we  should  enjoy  in  our 
churches  ?  We  adopt  a  system  which  we  conscientiously  believe 
the  Church  gives  us ;  we  adopt  it  as  a  whole ;  why  should  we  be 
continually  fretted  by  the  denial  of  parts  which,  in  our  conscien- 
tious opinion,  are  necessary  to  the  unity  of  that  system  ? 

Your  lordship  has  received  the  charge  of  an  immense  diocese, 
containing  hundreds  of  thousands  of  unconverted  souls.  We,  in 
all  humility,  offer  to  do  what  God  in  His  mercy  may  enable  us  for 
a  few  thousand  of  these.  We  desire  to  do  it  as  the  Holy  Spirit 
leads  us  in  the  Church's  way.  We  neither  judge  nor  hinder  others 
who  may  be  led  to  try  some  other  way.  We  do  not  ask  your 
lordship  to  commit  yourself  to  any  principles  of  which  you  may 
disapprove,  but  merely  to  permit  an  experiment,  not  forbidden  by 
the  Church,  to  be  carried  out  by  those  who  have  the  heart  to  do 
it.  Surely,  in  such  a  diocese,  in  such  a  work,  there  is  room  for 
us  all  without  hindering  one  another.  Evidently  something  more 
elastic  and  energetic  is  wanting  than  the  old  parochial  system ; 
are  we  to  fall  back  upon  Wesleyanism,  or  on  the  Catholic  teaching 
of  our  Church  ? 

If  your  lordship  fears  lest  such  a  system  should  lead  to 
Romanism,  I  can  only  say  that  I  have  had  some  experience  of 
these  principles,  having  taught  them  as  well  as  I  knew  for  thir- 
teen years,  during  which  period  I  do  not  remember  more  than 
two  instances  of  persons  belonging  to  the  working  classes  being 
induced  to  leave  the  Church  of  England  for  the  Roman  com- 
munion :  one  was  a  young  person  who  had  been  led  to  the 
Oratory  out  of  curiosity,  and  whom  I  succeeded  in  convincing  of 
her  error ;  another,  a  poor  woman,  who  was  induced  by  secondary 
motives,  but  has  so  far  acknowledged  her  fault  as  to  leave  her 
children  in  the  Church  of  England,  and  will  probably  soon  return 


PLEA  FOR  TOLERANCE. 


141 


herself.  No,  my  lord,  I  find  that  with  all  our  ritual  and  dog- 
matic teaching  we  have  great  difficulty  in  raising  them  to  the 
standard  of  good  and  consistent  members  of  the  Church  of 
England ;  there  is  not  much  fear  of  their  getting  beyond  that. 
Protestantism  is  still  very  strong  in  England.  That  your  lord- 
ship may  be  guided  by  the  Holy  Spirit  in  encouraging  rather  than 
checking  a  work  undertaken  in  all  sincerity  for  the  glory  of  God 
and  the  salvation  of  souls,  is  the  sincere  prayer  of,  etc. 

Mission  House,  Calvert  Street,  Wapping,  E.,  May  2,  1857. 

My  Lord, 

Having  understood  from  Mr.  de  Burgh  that  it  is  your 
lordship's  wish  that  the  chasuble  should  not  be  worn  in  the 
celebration  of  Holy  Eucharist  by  the  clergy  of  St.  George's 
Mission,  I  beg  most  respectfully  to  submit  to  your  lordship  that 
we  have  always  worn  it  here,  since  the  opening  of  the  Iron 
Church,  in  entire  conformity  with  your  lordship's  strict  injunc- 
tions to  us,  at  our  first  interview,  that  we  should  obey  the  law. 
The  Privy  Council,  in  the  late  judgment,  having  expressly  laid 
down  that  the  rubric  in  the  First  Book  of  King  Edward  was  the 
rule  for  ornaments  and  dresses  of  the  ministers,  and  since  that 
directs  that,  "  At  the  time  of  the  Holy  Communion,  the  priest 
that  shall  execute  the  holy  ministry  shall  put  upon  him  the  vesture 
appointed  for  that  ministration,  i.e.  a  white  albe  plain,  with  a  vest- 
ment or  cope,  and  the  assistant  priests  and  deacons  shall  likewise 
have  upon  them  the  vestures  appointed  for  their  ministry,  i.e. 
albes  vrith  tunicles,"  and  since  also  the  present  rubric  before 
Morning  Prayer  directs  "  that  such  ornaments  of  the  ministers  at 
all  times  of  their  ministration  shall  be  retained  and  be  in  use," 
I  do  not  understand,  my  lord,  what  alternative  is  left  for  us.  We 
are  simply  obeying  the  law,  a  law  directly  binding  upon  our  con- 
sciences, and,  moreover,  involving  a  principle  for  which  I  am  pre- 
pared— and,  thank  God,  not  myself  alone,  but  very  many  others 
of  the  most  earnest  clergy  in  the  Church  of  England,  are  prepared 
also  —  to  sacrifice  everything,  the  honour  and  dignity  of  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  of  our  dear  Lord's  Body  and  Blood. 


142 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


The  Church  of  England  has  ruled  that  this  holy  service  should 
be  distinguished  from  all  others  by  the  dress  of  the  celebrant  and 
his  assistant  ministers.  Can  your  lordship  really  desire  those  who 
are  conscientiously  resolved  so  to  distinguish  it  both  by  their  teach- 
ing and  devotion,  to  break  the  law  of  the  Church  in  this  respect? 

It  is  not,  my  lord,  a  question  now  of  forcing  changes  of  ritual 
upon  an  unwilling  congregation ;  we  have  an  entirely  new  congre- 
gation to  form,  and  I  can  truly  say  that  I  have  never  heard  of  a 
single  person  in  this  district  being  offended  by  our  wearing  the 
chasuble.  On  the  contrary,  our  solemn  celebrations  of  the  Holy 
Communion,  especially  at  seasons  like  Christmas,  New  Year,  and 
Easter  Eves,  have  made  great  impression  on  those  who  had  never 
thus  felt  Christ  preached  to  them ;  and  we  trace  many  conversions 
from  these  occasions. 

We  are  making  a  great  venture  for  the  salvation  of  souls ; 
the  only  prospect  of  permanent  success  is,  so  far  as  I  can  under- 
stand, in  carrying  out  those  principles  which  I  submitted  to  your 
lordship  in  my  second  letter — the  setting  forth,  in  all  its  fulness, 
the  love  of  Jesus  Christ  and  His  grace  in  the  sacraments  and 
ordinances  of  His  Church.  I  should  have  no  heart  myself  to 
work  on  any  other  principles,  nor  could  I  expect  God's  blessing 
were  I  to  attempt  it.  I  believe  that  the  measure  of  success 
with  which  God  has  prospered  us,  has  been  entirely  owing  to 
our  faithful  adherence  to  these  principles  in  the  spirit  of  love  and 
charity.  I  desire  not  to  judge  others ,  thank  God  I  have  never 
interfered  with  any  who  were  earnestly  striving  to  win  souls ;  but 
I  do  ask  your  lordship  to  extend  to  us  that  liberty  in  keeping 
the  Church's  laws  which  the  world  claims  for  those  who  are  con- 
tinually breaking  them.  Some  of  us  may  err  sometimes  in  excess 
of  devotion,  but  surely  this  is  better  than  chilling  neglect  and 
careless  irreverence.  I  trust,  my  lord,  that  I  have  said  nothing  in 
this  letter  inconsistent  with  that  respect  for  your  office  and  person 
which  is  sincerely  felt  by 

Your  lordship's  faithful  servant, 

C.  F.  LoWDER. 

P.S. — I  should  perhaps  mention  to  your  lordship  that  I  had 


PLAIN  LIVING.  '  143 

intended  to  leave  London  as  early  as  I  could  next  week  for  a 
fortnight's  rest,  which  I  believe  is  necessary  for  me,  but  of  course, 
if  yolr  lordship  wished  it,  I  would  delay  my  journey. 

Ultimately  no  change  was  made  in  the  manner  of  con- 
ducting divine  service  at  St.  George's  Mission. 

Mr.  Rowley,  who  was  afterwards  ordained,  and  went 
with  Bishop  Mackenzie  to  Africa,  had  joined  the  Mission 
in  Calvert  Street  early  in  1857,  taking  charge  of  a  school 
for  boys  in  Old  Gravel  Lane,  while  the  girls  and  infants 
were  taught  by  the  Sisters.  The  story  of  those  early  days, 
which  he  has  been  kind  enough  to  supply,  is  too  interesting 
to  be  omitted.    He  writes  : — 

When  I  joined  the  Mission  I  did  not  expect  to  lead  an  easy 
life,  yet  I  had  not  thought  that  the  domestic  arrangements  of  the 
Mission  House  would  be  so  well  calculated  to  make  one  endure  hard- 
ness. The  furniture  was  scanty  and  of  the  plainest  description, 
and  until  I  became  used  to  it  my  bedstead  was  a  trial  to  the  flesh, 
for  the  mattress  was  so  thin  that  the  iron  laths  were  painfully 
perceptible  to  the  touch.  But  there  was  not  a  more  luxurious 
couch  in  the  house. 

The  members  of  the  Mission  had  their  meals  in  common.  There 
was  food  enough,  yet  very  little  room  was  left,  either  in  the  quantity 
or  quality  of  it,  for  the  practice  of  self-denial.  Nevertheless  days 
of  abstinence  and  fasting  were  not  ignored.  As  time  went  on  it 
was  found  that  a  more  generous  diet  was  needed  in  order  to  main- 
tain health  and  fitness  for  work,  the  physical  atmospliere  of  the 
Mission  districts  being  most  depressing.  For  instance,  a  large 
soap  and  candle  maker's  establishment  was  just  opposite  to  the 
Mission  House ;  the  dust-yard  of  the  parish  was  close  to  it ;  an 
animal  charcoal  maker's  premises  were  not  far  from  it ;  the  water 
of  the  Docks,  which  in  the  summer  sometimes  seemed  to  putrefy, 
almost  surrounded  it;  from  the  sewer  gratings  there  came  the 


144 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


most  abominable  of  odours,  foi,  the  district  of  Calvert  Street  being 
below  high-water  mark,  twice  a  day  the  debouchments  of  the 
sewer  were  closed,  and  the  smells  from  the  houses  were  generally 
most  unsavoury. 

But  the  place  might  have  been  a  paradise  of  sweetness  for 
any  manifestation  of  discomfort  that  Mr.  Lowder  made;  yet,  as 
I  afterwards  discovered,  his  olfactory  nerves  were  exceedingly 
sensitive. 

Just  before  I  joined,  the  forces  of  the  Mission  had  been 
divided.  The  Rev.  H.  Collins,  the  Rev.  Hubert  de  Burgh,  and 
a  Mr.  Flesher,  a  Cambridge  man,  who  then  intended  to  take 
Holy  Orders,  had  removed  to  a  house  in  Wellclose  Square,  in 
order  that  the  services  in  the  Danish  Church,  which  had  been 
rented  by  the  Mission,  might  be  the  more  conveniently  under- 
taken, and  the  district  nominally  assigned  to  this  church  be  the 
more  conveniently  worked.  With  Mr.  Lowder  in  the  Calvert 
Street  house,  there  were  the  Rev.  W.  Burn ;  Mr.  H.  Martin,  who 
also  was  staying  at  the  Mission  with  the  view  of  there  passing  the 
time  between  the  taking  of  his  degi-ee  and  his  ordination;  Mr. 
Drew,  an  elderly  gentleman  who  acted  as  chief  of  the  commis- 
sariat, etc.,  and  myself. 

Between  the  clergy  at  Wellclose  Square  and  at  Calvert  Street 
there  was  at  first  a  not  infrequent  interchange  of  duty,  but  gradually 
it  became  apparent  that  a  more  serious  division  than  that  which  was 
made  by  dividing  the  forces  was  to  be  feared.  Not  one  word  on 
this  subject  to  my  knowledge  escaped  Mr.  Lowder's  lips,  but  the 
adherents  of  Messrs.  Collins  and  De  Burgh  were  not  so  reticent. 

The  Rev.  H.  Collins  was  a  remarkable  man,  an  enthusiast, 
and  able  to  excite  enthusiasm,  a  sweet-dispositioned  man,  with 
wnning  ways  and  great  readiness  of  speech.  His  very  peculiari- 
ties— and  he  had  many — were  attractive,  for  though  with  reference 
to  dress  he  sometimes  set  at  nought  all  conventional  ideas,  he 
did  so  with  such  simplicity  that,  even  while  tempted  to  laugh  at 
him,  you  were  drawn  more  closely  to  him.  He  regarded  the  so- 
called  "  religious  life "  as  indispensably  necessary  to  satisfactory 


COXGREGATIOIl  IN  CALVERT  STREET. 


work  amongst  the  neglected  people  in  the  East  of  London ;  but 
in  the  cultivation  of  that  life  he  sought  the  aid  of  the  masters  of 
devotion  in  the  Romish  rather  than  in  the  English  Church,  and 
his  preaching  and  manner  of  life  exhibited  a  similar  tendency. 

Mr.  Lowder's  appreciation  of  the  value  of  the  "religious  life" 
was,  I  am  sure,  as  intense  as  that  of  Mr.  Collins,  and  in  his  fer- 
vent desire  for  the  unity  of  Christendom  I  think  he  might  have 
been  willing  to  make  concessions  to  Rome  which  very  few  English 
Churchmen  would  think  desirable  ;  but  he  had  no  desire  to  leave 
the  communion  of  the  English  Church,  and  he  held  on  his  Avay 
sturdily  and  steadily,  working  and  praying,  and  hoping  that  by  his 
work  and  prayers  some  approach  to  that  unity  for  which  he  longed 
might  be  made. 

I  do  not  know  this  from  any  formal  communication  from  him 
to  myself,  but  I  gathered  it  from  occasional  observations  of  his, 
and  from  the  whole  course  of  his  life  during  the  time  I  was 
appointed  with  him. 

The  congregations  in  Calvert  Street  and  at  Wellclose  Square 
were  hot  large;  that  of  the  former  was  dra^vn  from  the  imme- 
diate neighbourhood,  while  that  of  the  latter  was  mainly  com- 
posed of  people,  mostly  young  men  and  women,  drawn  from 
other  districts.  Every  effort  was  made,  by  means  of  outdoor 
preaching  on  Sundays,  frequent  daily  services,  and  personal  invita- 
tions, to  get  the  people  to  come  to  church,  but  for  a  time  it 
seemed  almost  without  effect.  Now  and  then  a  poor  soul  borne 
down  by  care,  hard  work,  ill  usage,  or  poverty,  having  been 
touched  by  the  kindness  shown  by  the  Sisters  or  other  members  of 
the  Mission,  or  pricked  to  the  heart  by  what  had  been  preached  in 
the  streets,  would  slink  into  church ;  but  it  was  long  before  what 
could  be  called  a  congregation  was  really  formed  in  Calvert  Street, 
Mr.  Lowder  was  not  an  eloquent  man,  though  he  never  preached 
written  sermons,  and  for  months  after  I  joined  the  Mission  the 
substance  of  his  sermons  seemed  to  me  to  be  ill  calculated  to 
attract  the  kind  of  people  amongst  whom  we  lived.  Self-sacrifice, 
the  giving  up  all  for  Christ,  was  his  constant  theme,  and  it  was 

L 


T46 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


treated  in  such  a  way  that  I  was  not  surprised  when  a  man  who 
sometimes  attended  our  services  said  to  me,  "  You  men  are  very 
good  men,  I  dare  say,  but  your  goodness  is  not  for  such  as  we. 
You  make  religion  too  hard.  Why,  you  preach  to  me  as  though  I 
was  all  soul  and  no  body,  when  I  know  and  feel  every  day  of  my 
life  that  I  have  got  a  body,  and  that  it  makes  claims  upon  me 
that  I  can't  set  aside." 

His  sermons  were  frequently  more  suitable  for  the  dwellers 
in  the  cloister  than  for  the  inhabitants  of  one  of  the  most 
degraded  parts  of  London.  It  was  his  life,  then  and  after- 
wards to  the  day  of  his  death,  which  influenced  for  good  the 
people  about  him.  He  lived  amongst  them,  and  he  was  ever 
seeking  their  welfare.  See  him  when  they  would,  come  to  him 
when  they  might,  he  was  always  the  same,  always  before  all  things 
desirous  of  leading  them  from  the  lower  animal  life  in  which  they 
lived  to  the  higher  life  in  Christ.  They  may  have  found  it  diffi- 
cult to  understand  his  sermons,  and  probably  they  were  often 
puzzled  by  the  seeming  impossibility  of  the  life  he  set  before 
them,  when  they  thought  of  the  life  which,  as  it  would  appear  to 
them,  they  were  ordinarily  compelled  to  live ;  but  he  was  a  good 
man,  at  all  times  and  upon  all  occasions  ready  and  willing  to  help 
them  and  their  children ;  they  could  understand  that,  and  in  the 
end  they  learnt  to  trust  him  and  to  love  him. 

Various  circumstances  combined  to  make  it  necessary  that  the 
members  of  the  Mission  living  in  Calvert  Street  should  remove  to 
the  Wellclose  Square  Mission  House.  The  Sisters  had  need  of  a 
more  convenient  house  than  that  in  which  they  lived.  Messrs. 
Burn  and  Martin  had  left  the  Mission  in  order  to  work  in  the  dis- 
tricts connected  with  the  parish  church,  and  it  was  manifestly 
desirable  that  there  should  not  be  in  any  sense  a  divided  respon- 
sibility— that  the  real  head  of  the  Mission  should  have  the  control 
of  it.  This  change,  however,  soon  led  to  others,  for  Messrs. 
Collins  and  De  Burgh,  finding  it  difficult  to  fall  in  with  the  new 
arrangement,  left  the  I^Iission,  and  some  time  afterwards  were 
received  into  the  Roman  Com.munion. 


FIRST  SECESSION. 


This  was  a  severe  trial  to  Mr.  Lowder,  but  no  word  of  com- 
plaint escaped  his  lips.  He  rarely  afterwards  spoke  of  his  former 
colleagues ;  and  when  he  did  so,  it  was  never  to  their  disparage- 
ment :  he  seemed  to  be  grateful  to  them  that  they  showed  so 
much  regard  for  the  interests  of  the  Mission  as  to  allow  a  space  of 
time  to  intervene  between  their  going  away  and  their  joining  the 
Church  of  Rome. 

The  burden  that  their  departure  placed  upon  him  was  very 
heavy.  The  daily  services  of  two  churches,  besides  much  other 
clerical  work,  had  to  be  provided  for,  and  for  some  time  no 
regular  aid  could  be  procured.  The  pecuniary  affairs  of  the  Mis- 
sion suffered,  and  he  was  responsible  for  liabilities  incurred  in  its 
behalf.  He  bore  up  bravely  for  a  long  while,  passing  more  time 
than  usual  in  the  oratory  in  prayer ;  but  at  last  his  strength  failed 
him,  he  became  ill, — and  at  this  critical  juncture,  when  it  seemed 
that  there  was  danger  of  the  Mission  being  given  up,  the  Rev. 
R.  M.  Benson  came  to  its  aid,  and  did  not  leave  it  until  Mr. 
Lowder  was  restored  to  health  and  strength,  and  some  regular 
clerical  help  had  been  secured. 

Then  there  came  a  period  of  hard  work — very  hard  work,  for 
the  Mission  was  much  under-manned — during  which  the  day  and 
Sunday  schools  were  largely  increased,  the  congregations  were 
enlarged,  a  refuge  for  fallen  women  was  opened,  night  classes  for 
young  men  were  established,  and  a  greater  hold  upon  the  people 
who  had  been  brought  under  the  influence  of  the  Mission  was 
gained. 

Mr.  Lowder  did  not  frequently  visit  the  schools ;  he  reserved 
himself  for  the  religious  instruction  of  the  children  by  catechisings 
in  church.  I  did  not  think  that  he  had  a  very  happy  manner 
with  children ;  nevertheless,  by  constant  hammering  away  at  them, 
he  managed  to  make  them  acquainted  with  the  first  principles  of 
our  holy  religion.  I  was  talking  not  long  ago  v/ith  a  man  who  as 
a  child  attended  the  Mission  schools  at  this  period  of  which  I  am 
writing,  and  he  distinctly  remembered  the  results  of  Mr.  Lowder's 
catechisings,  and  could  repeat  word  for  word,  though  not  learned 


148 


CHARLES  LOIVDER. 


from  a  book,  the  formulce  in  which  he  was  taught  to  utter  Christian 
truths. 

Mr.  Lowder  recognized  the  fact  that  the  absence  of  definite 
religious  teaching,  the  failure  to  build  up  our  children  in  a  clear 
and  definite  knowledge  of  divine  truth,  was  the  main  cause  of  the 
sad  diversity  of  opinion  upon  religion  which  prevails  amongst  us, 
and  also  of  that  indifference  to  religion  which  is  even  more  pre- 
valent. The  doctrine  of  the  Incarnation  of  Christ,  and  the  exten- 
sion of  t?ie  Incarnation  through  the  sacraments  as  a  means  of 
union  with  Christ  and  as  channels  of  grace,  usually  formed  the 
basis  of  his  catechizings,  and"  indeed  of  his  religious  teaching 
generally.  But  I  do  not  remember  a  single  instance  where,  in 
enforcing  this,  he,  as  far  as  I  was  able  to  judge,  went  outside  the 
lines  of  the  English  Church.  He  kept  within  the  covers  of  the 
Prayer-book,  though  he  left  nothing  therein  unused,  if  I  except 
the  Articles,  concerning  which,  considering  the  material  he  had  to 
deal  with,  he  was  judiciously  silent. 

His  teaching  was  never  controversial.  He  expressed  the  truth 
as  he  had  received  it,  as  though  there  was  not  and  could  not  be 
any  other  view  of  it  than  his  own,  but  he  assailed  no  one.  In 
this  he  was  consistent  with  himself,  for  I  cannot  recollect  any 
instance  of  his  speaking  against  any  person,  or  against  any  view 
of  religion  with  which  he  did  not  sympathize.  I  confess  that 
I  should  have  had  more  sympathy  with  him  myself  had  he  shown 
less  reticence  in  these  respects,  yet  I  have  not  unfrequently  had 
reason  to  be  thankful  for  the  example  he  thus  set  me. 

His  clerical  coadjutors  after  Messrs.  Collins  and  De  Burgh  had 
left  him  were  the  Rev.  C.  Anderson  and  the  Rev.  J.  W.  Temple, 
who  remained  at  the  Mission  until  just  before  the  Rev.  A.  H. 
Mackonochie  joined  it.  With  the  accession  of  the  latter  gentleman 
there  came  what  might  be  called  a  revival.  He  took  charge  of 
the  Wellclose  Square  district,  and  soon  gathered  around  him  a  set 
of  enthusiastic  men  and  women.  Mr.  Lowder's  exertions  were 
mostly  confined  to  the  Calvert  Street  district,  where  his  life  and 
work  were  beginning  to  tell  for  good  in  many  wnys. 


THE  RIOTS. 


149 


Soon  after  Mr.  Mackonochie  joined  the  Mission  the  riots  at  the 
parish  church  began.  I  do  not  think  that  it  can  be  said  that  any 
one  connected  with  the  Mission  was  responsible  for  these  riots. 
A  certain  amount  of  antagonism  existed  in  the  minds  of  some  of 
the  inhabitants  against  the  Mission,  but  it  would  never  have 
manifested  itself  in  violence  and  indecent  attempts  to  interfere 
with  the  services  of  the  Church.  But  though  the  missionaries  did 
not  provoke  these  unmanly  disturbances,  they  were  affected  by 
them.  The  Mission  chapels  were  sometimes  invaded ;  the  Mission 
House  was  once  attacked ;  both  Mr.  Lowder  and  Mr.  Mackonochie 
were  required  by  the  Bishop  of  London  to  officiate  at  the  parish 
church,  and  were  consequently  exposed  to  the  assaults  of  the 
mob.  But  I  don't  know  that  Mr.  I.owder  on  any  occasion  lost 
his  equanimity.  He  was  summoned  before  the  magistrate  and 
fined  for  shutting  the  vestry  door  of  the  parish  church  upon  a 
man  who,  having  no  right  to  be  there,  insisted  upon  trying  to  force 
his  way  in ;  but  he  made  no  comment  upon  this  beyond  mention- 
ing the  fact,  which  he  did  with  a  smile  at  the  incongruity  of  his 
being  fined  for  protecting  God's  house,  while  it  seemed  impossible 
to  get  any  one  punished  for  desecrating  it. 

In  any  other  part  of  London  I  do  not  think  that  these  riots 
would  have  been  tolerated  for  a  month,  but  St.  George's-in-the- 
East  is  removed  from  the  quiet  thoroughfares  of  the  metropolis ; 
violence  and  disorder  were  chronic  there,  and  months  were  allowed 
to  pass  before  the  authorities  showed  themselves  to  be  in  earnest 
in  putting  them  down.  I  am  sure,  however,  that  the  great  majority 
of  those  who  Sunday  after  Sunday  congregated  at  St.  George's 
Church  for  the  purpose  of  creating  a  disturbance,  were  not  parish- 
ioners of  St.  George's  ;  they  came  from  other  parts  of  London. 

Of  the  parishioners  who  made  themselves  conspicuous  in 
fostering  and  carrying  out  the  disgraceful  scenes  in  the  church,  it 
would  be  absurd  to  suppose  that  they  were  urged  thereto  by  a  zeal 
for  religion.  One  of  the  most  conspicuous  of  them  (I  believe  that 
he  was  the  original  "  aggrieved  parishioner ")  was  fined  at  the 
^liddlesex  Sessions  for  keeping  houses  of  ill-fame,  and  the  rest 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


were  not  famous  for  their  purity  or  their  piety.  The  character  of 
some  of  these  men  was  thus  set  forth  by  a  young  man  who 
attended  the  night  school  in  the  Calvert  Street  district :  "  It's  all 
a  question  of  beer,  sir,  and  what  else  they  can  get.  We  know 
them.  They  are  blackguards  like  ourselves  here.  Religion  ain't 
anything  more  to  them  than  it  is  to  us.  They  gets  paid  for  what 
they  do,  and  they  do  it  like  they'd  do  any  other  job." 

Upon  the  whole,  the  riots  aided  rather  than  injured  the  Mission, 
for  at  their  close  I  believe  Mr.  Lowder  was  more  popular  in  the 
parish  than  he  had  ever  been  before,  and  it  is  certain  that  they 
won  for  it  in  other  parts  of  the  country  many  friends. 

Very  soon  after  the  Sisters  had  begun  their  vv^ork,  they 
had  taken  a  fev/  penitents  into  their  house  in  Calvert  Street; 
but  it  w^as  soon  found  to  be  both  too  small  for  the  numbers 
collected  in  it,  and  too  near  their  old  associations.  The 
work  vi^as  one  of  absorbing  interest  to  Mr.  Low^der,  and  in 
June,  1858,  he  took  a  house  at  Sutton,  in  Surrey,  having 
room  for  about  eighteen  penitents,  vv^ho  were  tended  by  the 
Sisters,  their  head-quarters  still  remaining  in  Calvert  Street. 
He  felt  that  the  connection  of  the  Refuge  with  a  particular 
district  gave  it  a  special  importance,  as  auxiliary  to  the 
Mission,  by  helping  to  foster  a  public  feeling  against  the 
prevailing  sin  of  those  parts ;  as  the  inmates  were  nearly 
all  girls  from  the  district,  the  Highway,  or  neighbouring 
streets,  who,  either  through  the  Sisters'  intervention  or  the 
effects  of  open-air  preaching,  were  drawn  to  ask  for  assist- 
ance. 

Some  of  these  were  gathered  in  through  a  sermon, 
preached  in  the  open  air,  on  the  occasion  of  a  girl  having 
committed  suicide  by  throwing  herself  into  the  Docks ; 
others  by  a  similar  sermon  after  a  murder,  originating  in  a 


PEi'JITENTS. 


quarrel  between  two  men  about  a  poor  girl.  A  ci  owd  was 
always  collected  at  such  times,  a  large  proportion  being 
sailors  and  other  men.  It  became  a  great  refreshment  to 
Mr.  Lowder,  after  leaving  the  sad  scenes  of  Ratcliff  High- 
way, to  go  to  the  Home  at  Sutton,  and  to  see  the  rescued 
ones  employed  usefully  in  the  laundry  and  kitchen,  or,  in 
their  time  for  recreation,  in  the  garden,  enjoying  country 
sights  and  sounds  which  some  had  never  known,  and  but 
few  since  the  days  of  innocent  childhood.  Better  still,  as 
he  himself  wrote  at  this  tim.e,  it  was  his  joy  "  to  join  with 
them  in  their  prayers  and  hymns,  in  their  little  oratory, 
where  their  hearts  seemed  indeed  to  unite  with  their  voices  ; 
or  to  look  at  the  attentive  faces,  and  very  often  streaming 
eyes,  with  which  they  listened  to  assurances  of  a  Saviour's 
mercy,  and  calls  to  repentance  and  faith  in  a  Saviour's 
blood." 

But  his  work  with  them  was  one  of  extreme  difficulty : 
they  had  been  used  to  such  brutal  treatment  from  the 
■sailors  and  thieves  who  were  their  former  companions,  that 
it  was  long  before  they  could  bear  i-estraint  or  curb  the 
violent  tempers  long  indulged  ;  while  the  dreadful  atmo- 
sphere of  their  former  homes,  the  oaths  and  blasphemies 
which  formed  their  conversation,  had  blunted  their  feelings, 
and  tended  to  harden  them  in  sin.  "  It  is  scarcely 
possible,"  he  said  at  that  time,  "to  describe  the  violent 
outbursts  of  passion  with  v/hich  the  Sisters  have  had  to 
contend,  or  the  frantic  rage  into  which  the  poor  girls  at 
first  lashed  themselves  at  some  trivial  remark." 

All  this  made  him  the  more  earnestly  desire  to  use 
measures  of  prevention  in  the  case  of  innocent  girls  under 
his  care.    At  this  time,  two  years  after  the  opening  of  the 


152 


CHARLES  LOV/DER. 


Mission,  between  three  and  four  hundred  children  were 
being  educated  in  his  schools  ;  and  thus  a  way  was  opened 
for  a  very  humble  beginning  of  an  Industrial  School  for 
girls,  under  the  Sisters  in  Calvert  Street.  The  work  had 
been  forced  upon  them  by  the  necessities  of  the  case,  for, 
as  Mr.  Lowder  wrote  soon  after  the  school  had  begun — 

How  could  the  clergy  or  Sisters  go  out  on  their  daily  visits 
among  the  poor  without  meeting  with  very  many  pressing  cases  ? 
Young  girls,  perhaps  still  in  the  school,  or  just  out  of  it,  living  in 
the  greatest  peril  with  a  drunken  father  who  might  at  any  moment 
cast  his  child  adrift;  an  idle,  unfeeling  stepmother,  who  would 
send  her  out  to  nurse  a  child  she  could  scarce  carry,  and  be  a 
drudge  in  a  house  to  a  large  family ;  and  if  she  came  home  worn 
out,  or  was  sent  away  because  it  was  too  much  for  her,  would 
tell  her,  "  Then  you  may  get  your  living  on  the  streets."  Some, 
already  in  workships,  factories,  and  even  dust-yards,  where  they 
shrank  from  the  contamination  to  which  they  were  exposed, 
gladly  sought  a  shelter  under  the  wing  of  a  loving  and  religious 
house.  Some  were  admitted  for  their  very  importunit)',  because 
they  prayed  so  earnestly  to  be  saved  from  the  danger  and 
wretchedness  by  which  they  were  surrounded  at  home.  One, 
whose  temper  often  made  it  difficult  to  keep  her,  would  say  that 
if  she  were  sent  out  she  was  sure  to  be  tempted  on  to  the  streets. 
Another  had  lost  her  mother,  and,  during  her  father's  absence  at 
work,  would  get  the  meals  for  her  brothers,  who  were  thieves 
themselves,  and  would  bring  home  their  companions  with  them. 
A  third  was  in  danger  of  temptation  from  her  own  father,  from 
whom  her  mother  was  separated.  Others  had  been  starving  at 
home,  or  were  driven  from  home  by  aunts  or  other  relations  who 
had  undertaken  to  keep  them,  and  must  have  gone  to  the  work- 
house if  we  had  not  admitted  them. 

There  was  no  room  for  an  organized  Industrial  School 
in  Calvert  Street ;  and,  after  many  difficulties,  buildings  at 


HOME  AT  HENDON. 


153 


Hendon,  originally  almshouses,  were  taken,  and  there  a 
school  was  formed  for  girls  rescued  early  from  the  tempta- 
tions around  them,  and  was  called  St.  Stephen's  Home. 
It  stood  on  a  high  and  healthy  spot,  three  miles  beyond 
Hampstead,  and  thither  also  the  penitents  were  removed, 
as  their  numbers  had  now  outgrown  the  Sutton  house. 

The  day  of  the  dedication  of  the  Hendon  Home  was 
one  of  great  joy  to  Mr.  Lowder.  The  old  buildings  had 
been  fitted  up  as  laundry,  kitchen,  and  nursery ;  while  the 
newer  part  was  devoted  to  a  chapel,  chaplain's  rooms, 
Sisters'  rooms,  and  dormitories  for  penitents.  It  was  dedi- 
cated on  June  21,  i86o,  a  procession  being  formed  in  the 
courtyard  and  passing  through  the  building  to  the  chapel, 
while  prayers  were  offered  in  each  part  of  it  for  God's 
blessing  on  the  Home.  The  sermon,  of  which  Mr.  Lowder 
wrote  as  "  very  impressive  and  eloquent,"  was  preached  by 
the  then  Dean  of  Westminster,  now  Archbishop  of  Dublin. 

Early  in  January,  1859,  Charles  Lowder  went  to  Fromc, 
to  attend  the  sick  bed  of  his  old  nurse,  who  had  been 
rather  a  second  mother  to  him  than  a  servant.  It  was  the 
first  time  that  death  had  visited  his  home  circle,  and  he  felt 
it  keenly.    Writing  on  January  nth,  his  sister  says — 

She  had  been  suffering  for  some  weeks  from  a  complaint  in  her 
foot,  which  proved  to  be  mortification.  At  ten  p.m.  Charles  cele- 
brated Holy  Communion  in  her  bedroom — Janey  perfectly  sensible, 

though  much  exhausted.    None  of  us  went  to  bed ;  but  R  , 

K  ,  and  I  watched  by  her  to  the  end.    About  1.15  a  change 

came  over  her ;  all  were  summoned,  and  while  Charles  was  offer- 
ing the  commendatory  prayer,  the  spirit  quietly  departed,  and  the 
poor  wasted  house  of  clay  was  all  that  remained  to  us  of  our  dear, 
faithful  old  nurse,  the  loved  watcher  and  guardian  of  our  babyhood 


154 


CHARLES  LOWDER, 


and  childhood,  the  friend  of  our  riper  years,  to  whom  we  all  went 
with  all  our  concerns,  sure  of  sympathy  and  interest.  The  weary 
old  pilgrim  of  threescore  years  and  fourteen  is  gone  to  her  rest. 
We  cannot  grudge  her ;  but  we  weep  for  our  loss — a  blank  which 
none  other  can  supply. 

It  is  difficult  to  say  whether  the  existence  of  such 
unusual  relations  between  masters  and  servants  are  more 
honourable  to  the  former  or  to  the  latter. 

The  two  following  letters  were  written  to  the  brother 
whose  career  Charles  had  watched  with  loving  anxiety,  on 
his  ordination  (Trinity  Sunday,  1859),  when  he  received  his 
title  from  the  late  Rev.  Thomas  Keble,  Vicar  of  Bisley ; 
and  on  his  receiving  priest's  orders  a  year  later. 

Sutton,  June  9,  1859. 

My  dear  Willy, 

I  fear  you  will  think  that  1  have  been  very  neglectful 
in  not  writing  to  you  after  your  ordination,  but  I  did  not  know  for 
certain  that  you  were  ordained,  until  I  saw  the  lists  in  the  Titnes  on 
Wednesday,  and  since  then  I  have  not  been  able  to  write  much. 
However,  I  hope  you  will  accept  my  most  sincere  wishes  that 
God's  blessing  may  abundantly  rest  upon  your  ministerial  life,  and 
that  you  may  have  a  full  supply  of  those  gifts  and  graces  which 
may  make  your  ministry  profitable,  both  to  yourself  and  others. 
You  have  indeed  taken  Holy  Orders  at  a  time  when  it  needs  great 
searching  of  heart  and  faithful  courage,  for  these  are  days  when 
those  who  will  do  their  duty  fearlessly  must  expect  much  tribula- 
tion. We  are  cut  off  from  the  world,  so  far  as  its  pleasures  and 
honours  are  concerned,  though  our  very  duties  bring  us  into  close 
contact  with  it.  May  we  learn  to  despise  its  vanity,  even  while  in 
love  we  seek  to  convert  it  to  God. 

I  trust  you  will  have  much  happiness  in  your  work  at  Bisley, 
such  happiness  at  least  as  may  be  good  in  encouraging  you  to  go 
forward  as  a  good  champion  of  the  Cross.    I  shall  be  glad  when 


LETTER  TO  REV.  IV.  LOWDER. 


you  have  time  to  send  me  a  few  lines  about  your  work,  and  be 
assured  that  you  will  never  be  forgotten  in  the  prayers  of 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

Charles. 

Mission  House,  Wellclose  Square,  E.,  June  3,  i860. 
My  dear  Willy, 

I  ought  to  have  written  to  you  last  week  or  before,  to 
assure  you  of  my  prayers  and  good  wishes  at  your  ordination.  I 
have  indeed  prayed  that  you  may  be  a  faithful  priest — none  but 
priests  can  know  what  an  awful  burden  the  priesthood  is  ;  and  as 
you  come  to  learn  what  the  priest's  responsibilities  are  for  each 
individual  soul  with  which  he  is  brought  into  contact  in  confession 
and  spiritual  intercourse,  as  well  as  his  solemn  duties  in  offering 
the  Blessed  Sacrifice — which  I  am  sure  I  never  realized  (imper- 
fectly as  I  do)  until  I  began  to  approach  it  daily — then  you  will 
indeed  feel  how  much  you  need  all  the  prayers  that  can  be  offered 
for  you.  And  yet  the  graces  of  the  priesthood  are  very  wonder- 
ful, for  how  otherwise  could  we  be  saved  ?  That  the  great  High 
Priest  may  abundantly  bless  you  from  above  with  the  manifold 
gifts  of  His  Holy  Spirit,  is  the  sincere  prayer  of 

Yoiurs  most  affectionately  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 

C.  F.  LoWDER. 


CHAPTER  X. 


THE  LINES  OF  THE  BATTLE. 

"  Here  and  there  you  may  meet  with  those  who  recall  you  at  once  from  the 
accessories  to  the  essence  of  our  existence ;  ivho  instead  of  spelling  its  little, 
syllables,  interpret  its  great  meaning  ;  who  do  its  work,  not  from  a  menial 
point  within  it,  but  from  a  lordly  position  beyond  it,  and  rather  pasi  through 
the  present  than  are  imprisoned  in  it." 

At  the  time  when  Mr.  Lowder  was  left  single-handed, 
through  the  defection  of  Mr.  Collins  and  Mr.  de  Burgh, 
Mr.  Mackonochie,  then  curate  at  Wantage,  went  with  a 
friend  to  see  the  Mission.  This  was  in  November,  1857. 
He  had  no  thought  then  of  doing  more  than  seeing  a  work 
which  interested  him  ;  but  he  was  so  much  moved  by  the 
sight  of  the  brave,  lonely  soldier,  that  he  offered  to  come 
and  help  him  as  soon  as  he  could  ;  and  in  November  of 
the  following  year  he  took  up  his  abode  at  the  Mission 
House  in  Wellclose  Square.  He  had  a  heart  which  stirred 
at  the  trumpet's  summons,  and  it  is  impossible  to  tell  what 
the  blessing  of  his  presence  for  the  next  four  years  was 
to  Mr.  Lowder.  No  one,  probably,  could  have  been  of  the 
same  help  and  comfort  to  him  at  this  time. 

They  lived  together  in  Wellclose  Square,  though  Mr. 
Lowder's  chief  work  was  in  Calvert  Street  district.    It  will 


RULE  AT  THE  CLERGY  HOUSE. 


be  seen,  from  his  letter  to  his  father  when  asked  to  head 
the  Mission,  that  his  first  thought  was  to  try  and  form  a 
"religious"  (in  the  technical  sense)  brotherhood,  with  the 
hope  that  this  organization  might  extend  to  other  parts  of 
London  where  hard  missionary  work  was  needed.  But  it 
was  ruled  otherwise  ;  circumstances  did  not  lead  in  the 
direction  he  had  aimed  at,  and  in  the  end  little  more  was 
attempted  than  a  Parochial  Clergy  House.  Probably  his 
strength  lay  rather  in  that  direct  missionary  work  among 
the  lost  souls  of  heathen  London,  in  which  he  became 
of  renown,  than  in  the  formation  and  ruling  of  a  society 
of  men. 

He  says  himself  that  "the  amount  of  active  duty  re- 
quired of  the  clergy  was  a  bar  to  the  adoption  of  a  stricter 
or  more  monastic  rule."  But  a  rule  they  had,  and  one 
which  left  little  time  for  anything  but  prayer  and  hard 
v/ork.  Here  is  his  own  sketch  of  the  daily  life  in  the 
Clergy  House  in  Wcllclose  Square  : — 

The  first  bell  for  rising  was  rung  at  6.30;  we  said  Prime  in  the 
oratory  at  7  ;  Matins  was  said  at  St.  Peter's  and  St.  Saviour's  at 
7.30;  the  celebration  of  the  Holy  Eucharist  followed.  After 
breakfast,  followed  by  Terce,  the  clergy  and  teachers  went  to  their 
respective  work — some  in  school,  some  in  the  study  or  district. 
Sext  was  said  at  12.45,  immediately  before  dinner,  when  the 
household  were  again  assembled ;  and  on  Fridays  and  fast  days 
some  book,  such  as  the  "  Lives  of  the  Saints  "  or  Ecclesiastical 
History,  was  read  at  table.  After  dinner,  rest,  letters,  visiting,  or 
school  work,  as  the  case  might  be,  and  then  tea  at  5.30  p.m. 
After  tea,  choir  practice,  classes,  reading,  or  visiting  again  until 
Evensong  at  8  p.m.  After  service  the  clergy  were  often  engaged 
in  classes,  hearing  confessions,  or  attending  to  special  cases. 
Supper  at  9.15,  followed  by  Compline,  when  those  who  had 


158 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


finished  tlieir  work  retired  to  their  rooms.  It  was  desired  that  all 
should  be  in  bed  at  ii  p.m.,  when  the  gas  was  put  out;  but,  of 
course,  in  the  case  of  the  clergy,  much  of  whose  work  was  late  in 
the  evening  with  those  who  could  not  come  to  them  at  any  other 
time,  it  was  impossible  absolutely  to  observe  this  rule.  In  an 
active  community  the  rules  of  the  house  must  yield  to  the  neces- 
sities of  spiritual  duties. 

This  kind  of  rule  went  on  to  the  end.  Once,  for  a  short 
time,  the  clergy  were  somewhat  separated — indeed,  one  of 
them  was  a  married  man — but  from  1872  all  were  united 
in  a  Clergy  House.  Mr.  Lewder  laid  much  store  by  this 
arrangement ;  he  had  dreamed  of  it,  though  on  more 
monastic  lines,  at  St.  Barnabas',  where  the  way  of  life  was 
not  poor  or  strict  enough  to  satisfy  him.  He  writes  of 
having  "great  reason  to  be  thankful  for  the  blessings  of 
such  a  community-life  for  himself,"  and  of  "  believing  that 
his  brethren  equally  felt  the  advantages  of  being  linked 
together  in  all  the  details  of  their  daily  life,  especially  in 
prayer  and  constant  intercourse." 

If  the  outer  details  and  circumstances  of  the  Mission 
are  somewhat  minutely  described,  it  must  be  remembered 
that  Mr.  Lowder's  life  was  really  his  work,  and  that  more 
than  common  interest  belongs  to  it  in  the  eyes  of  all  who 
would  fain  join  the  battle  against  ignorance  and  vice. 
And  for  this  reason  :  because,  as  even  those  who  were  far 
from  agreeing  entirely  with  him  acknowledged,  his  Mission, 
was  the  first  which  made  any  real  impression  upon  the 
heathenism  of  the  worst  parts  of  London. 

It  is  therefore  worth  asking,  what  were  the  lines  upon 
which  he  worked,  not  only  as  to  outer  organization,  but 
also  as  to  inner  principles  ? 


WORK  WITH  INDIVIDUALS. 


He  has  told  us  himself  that,  in  order  to  lay  a  sure 
foundation  for  the  missionary  work  of  the  Church  at  home, 
"  it  must  be  built  up,  stone  upon  stone,  like  a  breakwater, 
where  a  vast  amount  of  labour  is  spent  on  that  which  will 
never  appear  till  the  judgment  day,  and  where,  after  these 
stones  have  been  carefully  laid,  they  must  be  strongly 
cemented  together  until  they  can  be  left  to  buffet  against 
the  angry  storms  and  waves  of  the  ocean." 

Words  of  truth  and  soberness,  as  well  as  of  eloquence, 
were  spoken  in  the  early  days  of  Father  Lowder's  work  : — 

Although  the  Church  throws  herself  upon  the  masses,  she 
deals  with  each  individual  soul  as  if  it  alone  were  entitled  to  all 
her  love.  Never,  while  the  Church  has  comprehended  her  mission, 
has  she  affected  to  win  souls  by  general  measures  which  ignore  the 
needs  of  each.  The  soul  of  man  is  not  a  mere  part  of  a  machine, 
which  moves  because  you  set  the  ma.chine  in  motion.  It  is  a 
living  force,  a  centre  of  undying  life.  .  .  .  Open  your  metropolitan 
cathedral  on  Sunday,  and  fill  its  aisles  with  multitudes,  who  listen 
if  they  do  not  pray.  It  is  well ;  but  what  if  the  seed  lie  upon  the 
surface,  when  there  is  none  at  hand  to  cover  it  with  soil,  and,  ere 
Monday  morning  comes,  the  fowls  of  the  air  devour  it?  .  .  .  The 
Good  Shepherd  calleth  His  sheep  by  name.  Individualizing  work 
is  a  matter  not  of  taste,  but  of  necessity.  A  religion  which  does 
not  attempt  this  may  succeed  in  adding  to  the  stores  of  the  under- 
standing ;  it  can  never  win  the  heart.  It  may  cover  the  wounds 
of  society ;  it  can  never  bind  and  heal.  .  .  .  The  St.  George's 
dergy  live  in  the  centre  of  a  dense  population  ;  they  are  always 
on  the  spot.  They  are  there  ready  to  make  the  most  of  every 
opening,  and  to  guard  against  each  threatening  of  danger.  They 
are  surrounding  themselves  with  services,  schools,  reformatories. 
They  are  winning  penitents  and  gathering  in  communicants. 
Their  object  is  not  only  to  diffuse  an  influence,  but  in  the  name 
and  in  the  strength  of  Christ  to  save.    Around  them  are  those 


i6o 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


who  have  been  saved — saved  from  lies,  and  prayerlessness,  and  lust, 
and  despair,  and  hell.  Such,  of  course,  may  fall  away  and  be  lost, 
as  may  any  Christian  on  this  side  the  grave.  But,  as  it  is,  God 
"has  called  them  to  this  state  of  salvation"  by  the  entreaties,  and 
toils,  and  sacraments  of  the  St.  George's  missionaiy  clergy.  He 
will  call  others.* 

Father  Lowder  did  not  feel  that  his  object  was  gained 
"merely,"' as  he  said,  "in  bringing  people  to  church,  or 
in  inducing  large  numbers  to  make  some  outward  pro- 
fession of  religion  without  a  real  change  of  heart  and  life." 
We  have  seen  how  he  warned  his  younger  brother  of 
the  danger  of  allowing  even  diligent  use  of  sacraments  to 
take  the  place  of  this  vital  change.  Still  less  did  he  believe 
in  the  regenerating  power  of  attempts  to  brighten  the 
surface  of  society  by  plans  of  social  rcci-eation,  by  lectures, 
concerts,  or  tea-meetings,  while  the  festering  sore  is  left 
untouched  ;  although  fully  acknowledging  the  value  of 
such  things  in  their  proper  place,  and  gladly  using  them. 

He  described  what  he  strove  to  effect — "  to  bring  home 
to  consciences  the  guilt  and  heinousness  of  all  sin  in  God's 
sight ;  the  love  of  God,  making  sin  what  it  is,  and  alone 
giving  hopes  of  pardon  through  the  precious  Blood  of  Jesus 
Christ." 

"  We  believed,"  he  said,  "  that  though  it  were  a  much 
more  difficult  work  to  win  souls  to  Christ  in  the  sorrowful 
ways  of  true  repentance,  and  in  the  fruits  of  penitential 
discipline — to  build  them  up  and  train  them  in  the  v.hole 
faith  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  in  the  duties  of  the 
Christian  life;  yet  that  thus  only  were  we  fulfilling  oui 
special  obligations  as  missionary  priests  of  the  Church — 

♦  Sermon  by  Rev,  II.  P.  Liddon,  D.D. 


COiVFESSIOiV. 


i6i 


thus  only  were  we  feeding  our  flock  in  the  rich  pastures  of 
their  Christian  inheritance — and  thus  only  enabling  them 
to  contend  against  the  manifold  trials  and  persecutions 
amidst  which  they  lived,  to  be  a  witness  for  the  faith  in 
a  wicked  and  perverse  generation,  and  thus  to  be  truly 
missionaries  themselves  in  bringing  other  souls  to  Christ." 

He  spoke  openly,  and  with  no  bated  breath,  to  those 
who  were  awakened  and  troubled,  of  confession  and  abso- 
lution ;  not  as  a  dangerous  remedy  to  be  used  in  extreme 
cases,  but  as  freely  offered  to  all  requiring  more  comfort 
and  counsel  than  they  could  find  without  it.  He  spoke 
of  it  in  the  spirit  of  that  Canon  of  the  Irish  Church,  now 
swept  away  by  those  who  rose  up  against  her  ancient  faith, 
saying,  "Let  us  root  out  the  remembrance  of  it  from  off 
the  earth."  * 

"  I  wonder,"  one  of  Mr.  Lowder's  former  fellow-workers 
says,  "how  people  who  object  to  confession  would  deal  with 
the  sort  of  cases  which  form  the  principal  part  of  Mission 
work  in  East  London  and  places  of  the  same  kind.  With- 
out confession  they  would  be  working  entirely  in  the  dark  ; 
without  confession  these  poor  straying  souls  would  not  have 
perfect  assurance  of  forgiveness — would  not  realize  that  the 

*  Addition  to  the  19th  Canon  made  by  the  Irish  Convocation  of  1634  : — 
"And  the  minister  of  every  parish  shall,  the  afternoon  before  the  said  ad- 
ministration, give  warning  by  the  tolling  of  a  bell,  or  otherwise,  to  the  intent 
that  if  any  have  any  scruple  of  conscience  or  desire  the  special  ministry  of 
reconciliation  he  may  afford  it  to  those  who  need  it.  And  to  this  end  the 
people  are  often  to  be  exhorted  to  enter  into  a  special  examination  of  the  state 
of  their  own  souls  ;  and  that  finding  themselves  either  extreme  dull  or  much 
troubled  in  mind,  they  do  resort  unto  God's  ministers  to  receive  from  them  as 
well  advice  and  counsel  for  the  quickening  of  their  dead  hearts  and  the  sub- 
duing of  those  corruptions  to  which  they  have  been  subject,  as  the  benefit  of 
absolution  likewise,  for  the  quieting  of  their  conscience  by  the  power  of  the 
keys  which  Christ  hath  committed  to  His  ministers  for  that  purpose." 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


past  is  really  wiped  out,  and  that  the  future  is  clear  before 
them.  I  have  still  ringing  in  my  heart  the  cry  of  two  poor 
labouring  lads  who  had  just  made  their  first  confession,  and 
who  came  to  me,  their  hearts  bursting  with  joy  too  great  to 
bear:  'Ah,  sir,  if  we  could  die  now!'  I  could  tell  the 
most  wonderful  stories  of  changed  and  rescued  lives  of  lads 
and  men  who  have  been  brought  by  God's  grace  to  seek 
His  pardon  in  the  ministry  of  reconciliation." 

But  chiefest,  and  above  all,  before  souls  converted  and 
rescued,  the  Holy  Communion  was  set  forth  both  as  the 
great  act  of  worship  and  the  great  means  of  spiritual 
grace.  It  is  best  to  give  in  his  own  words  his  belief  and 
practice  on  this  awful  subject. 

If  it  be  asked,  as  it  is  by  some,  why  the  Holy  Communion  is 
made  the  great  central  act  of  worship,  the  answer  is  that  it  is  the 
one  great  service  ordained  by  Jesus  Christ  Himself — "  This  do ;  " 
— the  Liturgy  of  the  Church ;  that  it  is  a  commemorative  sacrifice, 
the  great  means  of  showing  forth  that  which  it  most  concerns  us 
to  show  forth  as  the  means  of  our  salvation,  the  Death  of  our 
Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ ;  that  it  is  the  communion  or  com- 
munication of  the  inestimable  blessings  which  are  derived  from 
the  Incarnation,  Passion,  Death,  Resurrection,  and  Ascension  of 
our  Blessed  Lord. 

Nothing  could  exceed  his.  care  lest  souls  committed  to 
him  should  approach  this  Blessed  Sacrament  unworthily. 
For  this  reason,  amongst  others,  he  valued  confession,  as 
helping  the  poor  to  perform  that  duty  of  self-examination 
enjoined  in  the  Prayer-book,  but  of  which  the  difficulty, 
even  intellectually,  is  so  enormous  to  the  uneducated.- 
He  has  left  on  record  his  belief  that  he  would  have  been 
unfaithful,  alike  to  his  vows  and  to  those  under  his  care, 


SPIRITUAL  INSTRUCTION. 


163 


had  he  ever  allowed  any  outward  opposition  to  wrest  from 
his  hands  this  most  powerful  weapon  against  the  enemy 
of  souls.  The  careful  preparation  of  his  candidates  for 
Confirmation,  both  young  and  old,  also  gave  occasion  for 
close  spiritual  intercourse  and  for  individual  instruction. 
The  classes  for  Confirmation  generally  went  on  for  three 
or  four  months  every  year,  and  communicant  classes  for 
the  greater  part  of  the  year. 

The  value  of  instruction  to  individual  souls,  as  com- 
pared to  that  given  in  sermons,  has  been  likened  to 
the  different  results  attained  by  throwing  a  bucketful  of 
water  from  one  side  of  a  wall  over  empty  vessels  set  in  a 
row  on  the  other  side,  and  by  pouring  water  into  the 
same  vessels  one  by  one.  In  the  one  case,  some  drops  of 
water  would  probably  find  their  way  into  the  vessels ;  in 
the  other  they  would  be  filled  to  the  brim.  Certainly 
Father  Lowder's  flock  were  fed  on  the  latter  principle,  as 
we  may  learn  from  the  following  words  of  one  who  stood 
by  his  side  in  the  battle-field,  as  to  his  manner  of  waging 
war,  and  the  result : — 

It  was  surely  a  great  act  of  faith  in  the  Almighty  power  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  ever  present  in  the  Church,  and  ever  young, 
that  in  jDlanning  his  campaign  against  this  region  of  darkness  and 
heathenness,  "  this  common  sewer  of  all  the  realm,"  Mr.  Lowder 
should  elect  to  fight  with  the  old  Church  weapons,  and  operate 
on  the  old  Church  lines.  The  spiritual  victory  of  St.  Peter's  is 
a  witness  to  the  power  of  the  old  foith  and  ancient  ritual  of  the 
Church  of  Christ  to  reach  the  hardest  and  most  abandoned  hearts, 
and  win  them  back  to  purity  and  the  love  of  God. 

All  that  I  have  said  of  the  condition  of  things  in  East  London 
generally,  and  tlie  neighbourhood  of  Ratclifl  Highway  in  par- 


<:harles  lowder. 


ticular,  is  of  vaiue,  not  so  much  to  excite  sympatliy  with  Mr. 
Lowder  and  help  Churchmen  to  understand  his  life-sacrifice,  as  to 
try  to  paint  the  circumstances  of  human  life  with  which,  in  the 
lowest  depths  of  infamy  and  mire  of  bestial  habits,  the  Almighty 
power  of  grace  has  grappled,  and  lifted  up  into  the  sacred  associ- 
ations of  the  Body  of  Christ.  It  is,  indeed,  most  wonderful,  this 
manifestation  of  the  Presence  of  God  in  the  Church,  this  proof 
of  the  Church's  power  of  reaching  and  elevating  souls  lost  in  sin 
whenever  her  true  teaching  is  faithfully  put  fortii,  and  her  spiritual 
powers  fearlessly  made  use  of. 

Now  that  the  experiment  has  been  tried  upon  the  very  dregs 
of  our  national  life,  and  is  acknowledged  even  by  enemies  to  be 
an  astonishing  success,  it  is  easy  enough  to  say  that  it  is  only 
what  one  ought  to  have  expected.  But  we  must  never  forget 
that  it  was  Mr.  Lowder  who  first  had  the  faith  and  courage,  and 
love  of  souls,  to  stake  his  life  on  the  realities  of  those  principles 
which  we  now  accept.  Others  had  preached  before  the  love  of 
the  Cmcified  Lord  and  the  sinless  Humanity  of  Christ.  Mr. 
Lowder  brought  this  within  the  hope  and  reach  of  the  most 
straying  sin-stained  soul.  He  made  them  feel  that  they  could  be 
taken  up  from  their  sin,  and  all  the  fearful  surroundings  of  their 
spiritual  darkness,  into  that  same  pure  Body  of  Christ,  by  means 
of  the  sacraments  which  Christ  has  left  to  His  Ciiurch ;  that  the 
Church  is  the  Body  of  Christ,  and  that  God  the  Holy  Ghost  dwells 
in  the  Church,  and  that  He  operates  by  means  of  those  organs 
of  the  Body  which  Christ  had  ordained — bishops,  priests,  and 
deacons — in  their  exercise  of  the  spiritual  powers  He  had  left 
them,  and  their  administration  of  the  sacraments  He  had  ordained. 

And  triis  is  what  I  can  bear  faithful  witness  to  as  the  experience 
of  my  eleven  years'  work  amongst  them,  that  the  people  of  St. 
Peter's  do  believe  that  when  their  children  are  baptized  they  are 
"regenerate  and  grafted  into  the  body  of  Christ's  Church,"  and 
that  therefore,  being  made  part  of  Jesus  Christ,  they  are  bound  to 
follow  His  holy  example  and  live  His  life,  in  union  with  Him  by 
prayer  and  meditation  and  reading  God's  Word  and  receiving 


RESULT  OF  TEACHING. 


Holy  Communion.  They  believe  that  the  Bishop  does  give  them 
the  Holy  Ghost  in  Confirmation  by  the  laying  on  of  hands.  They 
believe  that  our  Lord  has  "left  power  to  His  Church  to  absolve  all 
sinners  who  truly  repent  and  believe  in  Him."  And  so,  when 
they  cannot  quiet  their  own  conscience,  they  go  to  the  priest  and 
open  their  grief,  that  they  may  receive  absolution.  They  believe 
that  the  Blessed  Sacrament  is  a  sacrament — is  not  only  bread  and 
wine,  but  that  there  are  two  parts,  and  that  the  invisible  part  is 
the  "  Body  and  Blood  of  Christ,  which  are  verily  and  indeed  taken 
and  received  by  the  faithful  in  the  Lord's  Supper." 

And  what  has  been  the  result  of  all  this  teaching  and  holy 
discipline  ?  Not  only  that  open  professional  sin  has  been  swept 
away  from  the  streets  of  St.  Peter's — that  there  is  not  one  known 
house  of  ill  fame  in  the  whole  parish,  when  within  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  streets  are  peopled  with  these  poor  outcasts ;  but  also  that 
the  communicants  of  St.  Peter's  have  been  lifted  above  their 
suffering  life  into  joy  and  peace.  They  are  able  to  accept 
the  sorrows  of  life  as  incentives  for  clinging  nearer  to  the  heart 
of  God ;  they  can  rejoice  in  tribulations,  because  thus  they  are 
more  like  the  "  Man  of  Sorrows."  They  have  learnt  and  proved 
that  it  is  the  most  blessed  privilege  of  our  union  with  Christ  to 
bear  the  Cross  with  Him,  and  sympathize  in  all  the  suffeiings  of 
His  Body  for  His  Church's  sake.  And  in  consequence  they  are 
the  most  united  congregation  I  have  ever  met  with.  They  really 
do  feel  that  they  are  "members  one  of  another,"  and  are  bound 
together  in  the  Body  of  Christ  by  the  love  of  God  the  Holy 
Ghost.  It  is  an  astonishing  exception  to  the  usual  London  con- 
gregation in  the  real  family  life  which  characterizes  it. 

We  therefore  owe  to  Mr.  Lowder's  memory  a  deep  debt  of 
gratitude,  in  that  he  has  proved  the  power  and  life  of  the  Church 
of  England,  and  its  ability  to  reach  and  reclaim  the  lost  lives  that 
lie  hidden  in  our  slums.  Dissent  has  never  been  able  to  touch  this 
class  of  life.  Especially  as  Churchmen  are  we  grateful  to  him  in 
that  he  has  done  it  by  the  simple  preaching  of  the  great  truths  of 
the  Incarnation,  and  the  use  of  the  means  of  grace  which  flow  from  it. 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


It  is  a  marvellous  fact  that  now,  as  in  old  time,  the  faithful 
declaration  of  the  highest  truths  of  our  religion,  and  the  common- 
sense  application  of  the  powers  entrusted  to  the  Church — by  which 
not  only  are  souls  told  to  "  come  to  Jesus,"  but  also  told  where  to 
find  Him,  namely,  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament  of  His  Body  and 
Blood  ;  not  only  told  that  the  Blood  of  Christ  cleanseth  from  all 
sin,  but  also  that  by  the  command  of  Christ  the  pardon  of  that 
Precious  Blood  is  applied  to  the  penitent  soul  in  absolution — • 
should  have  raised  up,  from  most  unhopeful  materials,  this  stanch 
and  noble  army  of  communicants,  five  hundred  strong,  rescued 
from  slavery,  and  restored  to  their  lost  heritage.  It  is  a  fact 
which  demands  the  attention  of  all  who  care  for  missionary  work. 

Let  me  tell  one  story,  of  which  the  hero  is  a  little  child  nine 
years  old,  just  to  show  the  missionary  spirit  which  animates  even 
our  children,  and  how  their  young  hearts  beat  with  the  love  of 
God.  This  child,  one  of  my  St.  Agatha's  choir-boys,  was  very 
ill,  and  had  to  be  taken  to  the  London  Hospital.  The  ward  of  a 
large  hospital  is  not  a  cheerful  place  for  a  young  homesick  affec- 
tionate child,  and  yet  this  brave  little  fellow  found  work  to  do. 
He  made  friends  with  the  men,  and  when  the  Bishop  of  Bedford 
came  to  preach  in  the  chapel,  he  collected  a  band  of  eight  big  men 
and  marched  them  off  to  the  service.  They  would  not  have  gone 
but  for  this  child ;  their  hearts  had  been  touched  by  his  prayers 
and  his  pretty  innocent  ways.  They  called  him  "  our  little 
master."  One  day,  he  was  telling  his  mother  of  the  number  of 
deaths  there  had  been  in  the  ward  since  he  arrived.  His  mother 
said,  "  My  dear,  you  ought  to  pray  for  them  when  they  are  dying." 
He  answered,  "  Mother,  I  always  do." 

As  with  doctrine,  so  with  ritual.  Mr.  Lowder  determined  to 
model  the  services  of  St.  Peter's  on  the  old  Church  lines,  in  the 
true  spirit  of  the  Prayer-book. 

He  had  virgin  soil  to  work  upon.  He  had  this  advantage,  that 
his  people  did  not  know  what  the  inside  of  a  church  was  like. 
There  were  no  Puritan  prejudices  to  consider.  Hence  it  was  but 
the  instinct  of  a  true  Churchman  and  Christian  to  make  the  great 


RITUAL. 


167 


service  of  the  Holy  Eucharist  the  central  act  of  worship  on  the 
Lord's  Day.  To  his  poor  people,  whose  minds  had  not  been 
warped  by  [controversial  bitterness,  it  would  seem  the  natural 
fulfilment  of  our  Lord's  command  :  "  Do  this  in  remembrance  of 
Me."  Therefore,  with  all  that  could  make  the  service  bright  and 
beautiful,  the  Holy  Eucharist  was  solemnly  offered  every  Sunday 
and  holy  day. 

I  suppose  there  is  not  a  more  beautiful  service  in  London  or 
England  than  the  High  Celebration  at  St.  Peter's,  London  Docks. 
And  it  is  entirely  a  labour  of  love,  a  religious  service,  on  the  part 
of  those  who  form  the  choir  and  who  assist  at  the  altar.  Besides 
the  ennobling  feeling  thus  engendered  by  a  service  offered  willingly 
and  not  for  money,  the  reverence  and  solemnity  of  the  whole  sacred 
act  has  had  a  surprising  influence  for  good  on  the  lives  and  tone 
of  mind  of  those  who  take  part  in  it.  Indeed,  this  is  the  practical 
value  of  such  a  service,  apart  from  its  aspect  towards  God  as  our 
"  bounden  duty,"  that  it  raises  the  hearts  of  the  poor  out  of  the 
miseries  of  their  earthly  lot  into  the  majesty  and  peace  of  heaven. 
The  beauty  and  the  brightness  of  the  services,  the  glorious  music, 
the  solemn  dignity  of  the  ritual,  all  these  contrast  with  the 
squalidness  and  nakedness  of  their  homes,  and  make  the  church 
to  them  the  very  house  of  God,  the  gate  of  heaven. 

They  have  told  me  so  more  pathetically  than  I  can  hope  to 
write  it. 

And  it  must  be  remembered  that  at  the  time  Mr.  Lowder 
inaugurated  this  order  of  service,  there  was  no  doubt  that  he  was 
acting'  strictly  within  the  liberties  of  the  Church  of  England — nay, 
according  to  the  express  ordering  of  the  rubric.  The  Privy  Council 
had  given  judgment  in  the  case  of  Westerton  v.  Liddell,  that 
the  ornaments  of  the  church  and  njinisters  as  used  in  the  second 
year  of  King  Edward  VI.  were  sanctioned  by  the  first  rubric  of 
the  Prayer-book.  It  had  not  then  been  attempted  to  invert  the 
plain  meaning  of  words.  It  was  not  surprising  that  the  new 
wisdom  of  the  Court  of  Final  Appeal,  in  its  contradictory  judgments 
of  later  years,  made  no  difference  in  the  order  of  service  at  St. 


168 


CHARLES  LOIVDER. 


Peter's.  The  people  had  grown  to  love  and  value  their  beautiful 
services,  and  Mr.  Lowder's  principles  did  not  urge  him  to  attach 
any  special  weight  to  the  decisions  of  a  secular  court  which  had 
usurped  the  spiritual  jurisdiction  of  the  Church, 

It  will  be  seen  that  in  later  years  his  action  in  this  matter  was 
not  allowed  to  remain  unchallenged  by  the  Church  Association. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


RIOTS  AT  ST.  GEORGE'S-IN-THE-EAST. 

1859-1860. 

"  Loco  d'  ogni  luce  mute 
Che  mugghia,  come  fa  mar  per  tempesta, 
Sc  da  contrari  venti  e  combattuto  ; 
La  bufera  infernal,  che  mai  non  resta, 
Mena  gli  spirti  con  la  sua  rapina, 
Voltando  e  percotendo  li  molesta." 

It  was  fortunate  that  during  1859  ^^'^^  i860  Mr.  Lowder 
had  a  fellow-soldier  by  his  side,  the  Rev.  Alexander  H. 
Mackonochie,  who,  like  himself,  did  not  know  what  fear 
was,  and  who  cared  nothing  at  all  for  mob  violence  or 
mob  law.  For  at  this  time  they  had  to  work  through 
the  riots  at  St.  George's-in-the-East,  once  infamously 
notorious,  but  which  have  scarcely  been  heard  of  by  the 
younger  amongst  us. 

It  so  happened  that  Mr.  Bryan  King  entered  upon 
the  charge  of  his  parish  just  after  a  celebrated  Charge 
by  Bishop  Blomfield,  in  1842,  in  which  he  strongly  urged 
upon  his  clergy  obedience  to  several  very  plain  directions 
in  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer.  Probably,  and  fortunately, 
neither  he  nor  his  hearers  in  the  least  anticipated  the 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


opposition  which  this  obedience  would  provoke ;  an  oppo- 
sition which  seems  to  us  almost  incredible,  since  it  was 
directed  against  practices  about  which  no  one  would  now 
think  of  raising  any  question. 

Mr.  King  was  amongst  those  who  carried  out  the 
directions  of  that  Charge,  beginning  to  do  so  on  entering 
upon  his  cure.  He  had  succeeded  to  a  regime  of  terrible 
neglect  ;  his  predecessor  had  only  appeared  once  in  the 
parish  church  during  the  seven  preceding  years,  and  had 
only  one  curate.  It  can  easily  be  believed  that  this  system 
was  well  pleasing  to  such  a  population  as  the  parish  con- 
tained ;  that  no  riots  disturbed  the  peaceful  slumbers  of 
their  Rector ;  and  also  that  the  first  tokens  of  an  active 
ministry  roused  opposition  amongst  those  whose  wretched 
interests  it  was  sure  sooner  or  later  to  invade.  They 
found  a  fit  representative  in  one  of  the  churchwardens, 
Mr.  Liquorish,  who  kept  a  public-house  in  the  parish. 
However,  after  a  time  the  hostility  seemed  to  die  away, 
and  as  Mr,  King  said,  "  I  was  permitted  in  comparative 
peace  to  pursue  my  almost  hopeless  work  in  the  midst  of 
this  dreary  wilderness  of  human  souls." 

Fifteen  years  passed  in  this  cheerless  peace.  Then 
came  the  Missions,  attacking  the  very  strongholds  of 
Satan,  and  bringing  new  strength  to  the  mother  church. 
In  1859  six  clergy  at  least  were  labouring  in  the  parish, 
besides  a  large  staff  of  lay  assistants ;  fifty-four  services 
were  held  weekly  in  place  of  the  four  per  week  which 
Mr.  King  had  found  established,  and  six  hundred  children 
were  under  instruction  in  the  six  schools  which  had  been 
set  on  foot. 

No  wonder  that  the  cry  arose  that  Mr.  King  had 


ST.  GEORGES  PARISH. 


171 


"  alienated  "  his  parishioners.  There  is  a  letter  to  Lord 
Brougham,  published  as  a  pamphlet  at  this  time,  by  one 
signing  himself  "an  Englishman,"  in  which  he  makes  an 
eloquent  appeal  to  justice  and  common  sense  on  behalf  of 
clergy  whom  he  says  he  neither  knew  nor  had  ever  spoken 
to.  "  Alienation,  indeed  ! "  he  indignantly  exclaims,  "what 
more  convincing  evidence  of  the  depth  and  reality  of  the 
work  now  being  carried  on  at  St.  George's  than  the  ran- 
corous hostility  which  it  has  encountered  from  the  advo- 
cates and  doers  of  Satan's  work  in  that  benighted  parish } 
The  parishioners  were  quiet  enough  so  long  as  the  one 
curate  with  his  four  services  a  week  essayed  feebly  to 
arrest  the  overwhelming  tide  of  vice  and  crime ;  but, 
now  that  the  Rector  of  St.  George's  has  directed  a  more 
powerful  armament  against  the  stronghold  of  sin,  its 
defenders  cry  out  like  Demetrius  of  Ephesus,  for  their 
'craft'  is  in  danger.  But  the  alienation  in  this  case 
means  the  severance  of  the  tacit  alliance  between  the 
Church  and  sin — her  clergy  and  the  tempters  to  sin — the 
rending  and  repudiation  of  that  unnatural  amity  which 
v/as  the  growth  of  long  years  of  neglect  and  unfaithfulness." 

The  result  of  this  neglect  may  be  imagined  from  one 
fact.  The  East  London  Association,  formed  for  the  sup- 
pression of  at  least  outward  vice,  caused  a  careful  survey 
to  be  made  of  a  considerable  section  of  the  population, 
contained  within  a  parallelogram  of  four  sti'eets  within 
which  St.  George's  Church  is  situated.  This  section  was 
found  to  contain  733  houses,  of  which  40  were  public- 
houses  and  beer-shops,  and  154  were  houses  of  ill  fame. 
It  was  not  wonderful  that  amid  such  a  state  of  things 
should  be  found  the  elements  of  fierce  opposition  to  any 


172 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


form  of  religious  earnestness,  and  of  readiness  to  make 
the  church  a  scene  of  outrage  and  blasphemy.  The  marvel 
is  that  for  ten  months  a  lawless  mob  was  allowed  to  do 
this  with  perfect  impunity,  and,  as  official  documents  show, 
with  too  much,  on  the  part  of  many  in  authority,  which 
appeared  to  be  a  source  rather  of  encouragement  than  of 
repression  to  the  rioters. 

The  members  of  the  vestry  of  St.  George's  were  elected 
by  the  inhabitants  of  the  whole  parish,  and  it  is  enough  to 
say  that  more  than  one  were  owners  of  a  large  number  of 
houses  used  for  evil  purposes,  while  several  were  notorious 
for  the  moral  scandals  which  they  had  occasioned.  Upon 
this  vestry  devolved  the  duty  of  electing  a  lecturer  at  the 
parish  church.  In  December,  1858,  they  elected  the  Rev. 
Hugh  Allen,  who  was  remarkable  for  the  extravagance  of 
his  Puritan  tenets.  He  had  lately  been  elected  lecturer  of 
the  parish  church  of  Stepney,  but  the  Rector  had  suc- 
ceeded in  excluding  him  by  interposing  his  veto  against 
his  being  licensed  by  the  Bishop.  Mr.  King  attempted 
the  like  course,  and,  on  its  failure,  appealed  to  the  Bishop 
against  the  licence,  on  the  ground  of  circumstances  which, 
four  years  previously,  had  induced  Mr.  Allen  to  resign 
his  lectureship  at  St.  Luke's,  Old  Street.  The  Bishop, 
however,  did  not  again  communicate  with  Mr.  King,  and 
licensed  Mr.  Allen  on  May  17,  1859. 

His  entrance  upon  his  office  gave  the  occasion  ,  for  the 
breaking  forth  of  the  long  smouldering  fire.  The  vestry 
were  well  aware  of  the  victory  they  had  gained,  and  of 
Mr.  Allen's  violent  antagonism  to  the  teaching  and  worship 
carried  out  in  the  parish  church.  He  entered  it,  amidst 
shouts  of  "  Bravo,  Allen ! "  from  the  mob,  on  May  22nd, 


MR.  ALLEN'S  LECTURES. 


1/3 


insisting  on  superseding  the  ordinary  service.  The  Act 
under  which  he  was  appointed*  enjoined  that  "the 
lecturer  should  be  admitted  by  the  Rector,  to  have  the 
use  of  the  pulpit  from  time  to  time,"  but  Mr.  Allen  ap- 
parently claimed  the  right  of  using  it  whenever  he  was  so 
disposed.  He  entered  the  pulpit,  triumphantly  brandishing 
the  Bishop's  licence  in  his  hand,  and  was  greeted  with 
shouts  of  applause.  He  had  a  band  of  devoted  and  noisy 
adherents,  who  filled  the  church  with  uproar,  and,  elated 
by  their  success,  invaded  it  on  the  next  Sunday,  during  the 
usual  service,  the  clamour  and  violence  reaching  such  a 
pitch  that  the  clergy  and  choir  were  with  difficulty  extri- 
cated from  the  mob  by  the  police.  This  was  the  beginning 
of  the  riots  which  for  ten  months,  more  or  less,  made  a 
Christian  church  a  disgrace  to  England — the  vilest  of  the 
vile,  the  very  scum  of  the  most  degraded  parts  of  London, 
men,  women  and  boys,  going  there  for  "  a  lark,"  and  rioting 
almost  unchecked  by  the  law. 

The  Bishop  now  "  earnestly  recommended  "  Mr.  Allen 
not  to  attempt  to  preach  in  the  church  until  his  rights 
and  Mr.  King's  should  be  respectively  decided  by  law. 
The  Court  of  Queen's  Bench,  to  which  the  vestry  had 
appealed,  decided  that  Mr.  Allen's  act  on  May  22nd  was 
an  "  intrusion,"  and  recommended  that  he  should  be 
allowed  to  have  a  service  of  his  own  after  the  usual 
Sunday  afternoon  service.  However,  Mr.  King  yielded 
to  his  wishes,  and  allowed  the  lecturer's  sei'vices  to  precede 
his  own.  The  consequence  was  that  two  or  three  hundred 
of  Mr.  Allen's  congregation  remained  in  the  church, 
taking  possession  of  the  choir  stalls  in  order  to  prevent 
*  2  Geo.  II.  c.  30. 


174 


CHARLES  LOIVDER. 


Mr.  King  from  officiating,  and  he  was  persuaded  by  the 
churchwarden  to  give  up  the  attempt. 

The  battle  had  now  fairly  begun,  and  the  mob  regularly 
attended  the  ordinary  Sunday  afternoon  services,  invading 
the  stalls,  shouting,  hissing,  and  yelling.  On  August  14th 
the  cry  was  raised,  "  Let  us  attack  the  choir  boys."  They 
had  taken  refuge  in  the  baptistry,  and  the  door  was  held 
by  force  against  the  mob  by  a  few  friends  of  order.  One 
of  these  was  prosecuted  by  the  publican  churchwarden  for 
having  struck  the  hat  of  one  of  the  assaulters,  the  vestry 
paying  the  expenses  of  the  prosecution. 

In  the  middle  of  August,  both  Mr.  King  and  his  curate 
broke  down,  their  health  giving  way,  and  they  left  St. 
George's  for  a  time,  when  the  whole  burden  of  the  parish 
fell  upon  the  Mission  clergy,  chiefly  upon  Mr.  Lowder 
and  Mr.  Mackonochie.  The  riots  continued  unabated,  the 
churchwardens  never  giving  a  single  offender  into  custody. 
On  one  occasion  Mr.  Mackonochie  Vvas  assaulted  by  the 
mob,  and  was  with  difficulty  rescued  by  the  police. 

It  is  impossible  to  read  without  shame  for  the  authorities 
concerned,  the  documentary  evidence  as  to  the  history  of 
these  riots.*  The  Chief  Commissioner  of  Police,  to  whom 
application  was  made  for  protection,  simply  replied,  "  The 
law  does  not  authorize  the  employment  of  the  police  inside 
the  Church  of  St.  George's-in-the-East,  as  you  request." 
In  another  letter  to  Mr.  King  he  wrote  : — • 

I  have  seen  this  morning  one  of  the  churchwardens  of  the 

*  It  is  to  be  found  in  the  "  Copy  of  all  Correspondence  that  has  taken 
place  between  the  Clergy,  Churchwardens,  and  Inhabitants  of  St.  George  s-in- 
ike-East,  with  the  Home  Office  and  the  Police  Authorities,  relative  to  the 
Disturbances  in  the  Parish  Church.  Ordered,  by  the  House  of  Commons,  io 
be  printed,  8  February,  i860." 


MR.  LOWDER  ATTACKED. 


parish,  who  stated,  in  his  own  and  his  colleague's  opinion,  that 
tlie  introduction  of  the  police  on  duty  in  the  church  is  calculated 
to  excite  persons  who  may  attend  the  church,  and  in  case  of 
collision  disastrous  consequences  may  ensue ;  and  that  it  would 
be  better  to  apply  for  assistance,  when  absolutely  required,  in 
the  event  of  the  commission  of  any  legal  offence  of  which  the 
police  can  take  cognizance. 

The  church  and  congregation  were  thus  given  over 
to  the  pleasure  of  a  howling  and  blaspheming  mob  ;  and 
the  police  authorities  and  the  Home  Secretary  having  been 
in  vain  appealed  to  for  sufficient  protection  by  the  clergy  in 
charge,  the  church  was  closed  by  an  order  from  the  Bishop 
to  the  churchwardens  on  September  25th. 

The  immediate  consequence  was  a  rush  to  the  Mission 
chapels  by  the  rioters,  who  gathered  more  than  a  thousand 
strong  in  Wellclose  Square,  attempting  to  break  into  the 
church,  and  seriously  threatening  the  Mission  Houses.  On 
September  25th  Mr.  Lowder's  life  was  in  danger  from  their 
violence,  as,  baffled  by  the  effectual  measures  which  liad 
been  taken  to  barricade  the  gates,  they  turned  their  rage 
against  him,  and  attacked  him  when  he  left  the  church, 
trying  to  seize  and  throw  him  over  the  bridge.  His  friends 
made  a  cordon  at  the  entrance  to  the  bridge,  and  held  it 
against  the  mob  until  he  reached  the  Mission  House  by  a 
back  entrance. 

But  the  rioters  were  at  length  met  with  a  strong  firm 
hand.  The  congregation  were  admitted  to  the  church  only 
by  tickets,  and  on  the  following  Sunday,  October  2nd,  some 
of  them  succeeded  in  forcing  their  way  through  the  crowd, 
and  the  service  was  carried  on  without  actual  interruption. 
"No  one,"  Mr,  Lowder  wrote,  "could  easily  forget  the 


176 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


sense  of  awe  created  by  the  solemn  stillness  within  the 
church,  contrasted  with  the  noisy  hum  of  voices  indis- 
tinctly heard  without." 

Writing  to  his  father,  he  says — 

I  ought  to  have  written  before  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of 
the  parcel,  which  arrived  quite  safely,  but  my  time  has  been  en- 
tirely taken  up,  and  this  week  very  unpleasantly,  as  the  rioters 
from  St.  George's  came  down  to  Wellclose  Square  in  the  evening. 
I  hope  to  prevent  any  disturbance  in  the  Mission  Church  next 
Saturday  by  admitting  our  congregation  by  tickets,  and  I  hope 
we  have  caught  a  ringleader,  against  whom  we  shall  apply  for  a 
summons  to  morrow.  Mackonochie  is  gone  for  his  holiday,  so  I 
am  by  myself 

A  few  days  later  he  wrote  : — 

Sunday,  October  2,  1859. 
...  I  send  you  these  few  lines  by  the  morning  post,  to  say 
that  all  has  gone  off  quietly  to-day.  We  had  no  disturbance  of 
the  services;  there  was  a  large  crowd  in  the  evening,  but  the  police 
kept  them  in  perfect  order,  and  the  ringleaders  have  been  alarmed 
by  our  proceedings  against  them.  My  father  will,  I  dare  say,  like 
to  read  a  letter  of  mine  in  the  Times  of  Saturday.  We  are  in 
much  better  spirits,  and  hope  that  the  rioters  have  received  a 
check. 

October  3,  1859. 

I  hope  you  received  a  letter  yesterday  afternoon  which  I  sent 
by  the  day  mail.  .  .  . 

It  was  a  great  mercy  to  get  over  the  Sunday  so  well.  The 
police  acted  very  well,  for  the  first  time  all  through  the  rows ;  I 
wrote  to  one  of  the  commissioners  myself,  and  he  sent  down 
satisfactory  orders.  The  prosecutions  in  the  police  court  and 
the  magistrate's  declaration  have  also  been  of  great  service  in 
j,larming  the  ringleaders ;  but,  above  all,  the  many  prayers  which 
have  been  sent  up  to  the  throne  of  grace  have  produced  this 


LETTER  FROM  THE  BISHOP. 


177 


happy  result.  I  came  out  of  church  by  myself,  and  walked  through 
the  lane  which  the  police  made  in  the  crowd,  and  could  only  hear 
a  few  boys  hissing.  Our  services  were  without  the  least  inter- 
ruption, thanks  to  our  tickets,  which  have  annoyed  the  disturbers 
amazingly.  I  trust  that  this  check  may  do  something  for  the 
production  of  peace  when  the  parish  church  is  opened.  The 
Rector  is  come  home,  but  I  fear  that  we  have  much  to  go  through 
as  regards  the  parish  church  before  the  parish  is  quiet  again. 
However,  I  do  not  think  they  will  dare  to  do  much  against  the 
Mission,  and  what  has  been  done  is  all  tending  for  good  in 
drawing  sympathy  at  home  and  abroad.  We  had  several  de- 
fenders yesterday,  amongst  others  Thomas  Hughes,  the  author 
of  "Tom  Brown's  School  Days."  It  is  quite  a  comfort  to  see 
a  Monday  paper  without  any  account  of  alarming  riots  in  St. 
George's. 

Both  Mr.  Lowder's  anticipations  were  fulfilled  ;  after  a 
Sunday  or  two  there  was  no  more  trouble  at  the  Mission 
chapels,  and  the  services  were  carried  on  from  that  time 
without  interruption.  But  a  long,  weary  battle  was  still 
to  be  fought  at  the  parish  church,  of  which  the  practical 
burden  fell  chiefly  on  the  Mission  clergy.  The  vestry  had 
applied  to  the  Bishop  to  interfere  with  the  long-established 
mode  of  worship  at  St.  George's,  especially  choral  service 
and  the  Eucharistic  vestments,  which  had  been  presented 
by  the  congregation,  and  used  for  two  years,  many  mem- 
bers having  pressed  the  use  of  them  upon  the  Rector.  The 
legality  of  the  latter  had  been  but  lately  affirmed  in  the 
Knightsbridge  judgment,  and  the  Bishop  of  London  had 
expressed  his  official  concurrence  with  that  judgment. 

Unhappily,  as  it  seems,  for  peace,  a  letter  appeared  from 
the  Bishop  in  the  newspapers,  dated  September  5,  1859,  in 
answer  to  the  vestry,  in  which  he  characterized  the  use  of 

N 


178 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


the  vestments  as  "this  childish  mummery  of  antiquated 
garments,"  and  assured  the  vestry  that  though,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  legal  decision  in  their  favour,  he  would  not 
appeal  to  a  court  of  law  upon  the  question,  yet  at  the 
same  time  he  would  not  hesitate  to  deprive  of  his  licence 
any  assistant  curate  who  should  use  them,  who  had  not 
the  legal  protection  enjoyed  by  an  Incumbent.  The  vestry 
met,  and  enlarged  their  demands,  requiring  nothing  short 
of  a  return  to  the  exact  way  of  performing  the  services 
vhen  Mr.  King  became  Rector,  seventeen  years  before. 

Ultimately,  Mr.  King  consented  to  be  bound  by  the 
Bishop's  decision  as  to  the  two  points  of  the  hour  of  the 
lecturer's  service,  and  the  vestments,  "so  long,"  he  wrote, 
"as  the  parish  did  not  disturb  me  in  any  of  the  other 
matters  complained  of ;  but  that  if  they  took  an  adverse 
course  in  these  respects,  I  should  consider  myself  at  liberty 
to,  and  should,  repudiate  the  decision  as  to  the  lecturer  and 
the  vestments."  * 

The  Bishop  decided  both  points  in  favour  of  the  dis- 
turbers, and  the  church  was  reopened  under  this  arrange- 
ment on  Sunday,  November  6th.  It  is  needless  to  say  that 
the  concessions  made  were  but  as  fuel  to  the  flame  ;  and, 
even  before  the  sermon,  the  morning  prayers  were  more 
seriously  interrupted  than  they  had  ever  been  before. 

Writing  of  the  impression  received  by  him  "  from  those 
who,  on  the  part  of  the  Government,  are  charged  with  the 
preservation  of  peace,"  the  Bishop  expresses  his  belief  at 
this  time  that  "  the  chief  cause  of  remaining  irritation  and 
disturbance  is  the  practice  of  turning  round  in  the  pulpit 
with  the  back  to  the  congregation  after  the  sermon,"  He 
*  Extract  from  the  record  of  the  Arbitration  of  the  Bishop's  legal  secretary. 


LULL  IN  THE  RIOTS. 


179 


desired  Mr.  Lowder  and  Mr.  Mackonochie  "  to  drop  the 
practice  alluded  to."  Those  who  were  really  acquainted 
with  the  lives  and  interests  of  the  people  who  promoted 
the  rio^s,  could  not  but  know  that  the  practice  of  turning 
eastward  at  the  ascription  of  glory  to  God  had  no  more  to 
do  with  the  offence  taken  than  that  of  turning  eastward  at 
the  Creed  ;  and  that  every  attempt  to  remove  supposed 
causes  of  irritation  was  followed  by  a  fiercer  outbreak  of 
blasphemy  and  passion.  The  Bishop  was  requested  to 
come  and  preach  in  the  church,  but  he  declined  ;  however, 
he  seconded  Mr.  King's  renewed  appeal  to  the  Home 
Secretary  for  the  attendance  of  police  within  the  church  ; 
and,  on  November  lOth,  Sir  Richard  Mayne,  who  had 
refused  his  request  in  June,  wrote  to  acquaint  him  "  that  a 
sufficient  number  of  police  shall  be  sent  (to  St.  George's 
Church  in  the  East)  on  Sunday  next,  to  maintain  order." 
This  first  real  attempt  on  the  part  of  the  authorities  to 
enforce  order  was  successful  ;  attempts  at  interruption 
gradually  became  less  serious,  and  by  Christmas  Day  had 
almost  entirely  ceased. 

On  December  24th  Sir  Richard  Mayne  wrote  to  Mr. 
King  :  "  I  have  to  acquaint  you  that  after  next  Sunday, 
the  25th  instant,  the  police  can  no  longer  be  employed 
inside  the  church  of  St.  George's-in-the-East."  No  reason 
was  given  for  this  measure,  but  Sir  Richard  added  that  all 
the  accounts  he  received  of  the  sentiments  and  motives  of 
those  who  took  part  in  opposing  the  mode  of  performing 
divine  service  at  St.  George's  induced  him  to  beheve  that 
an  alteration  in  some  matters  of  merely  ceremonial  obser- 
vances would  allay  the  lamentable  excitement.  He  was 
in  vain  entreated  to  withdraw  the  police  gradually,  and 


i8o 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


assured  that  a  sudden  withdrawal  would  be  certain  to  pro- 
voke a  recurrence  of  the  outrages,  especially  as  Mr.  Allen 
was  to  officiate  for  the  last  time  in  the  church  on  January 
1st,  i860,  when  a  strong  demonstration  from  his  followers 
was  to  be  expected.  The  police  were  withdrawn,  and  the 
field  was  left  open  to  the  rioters. 

They  took  advantage  of  it,  and  from  this  time  the  riots 
became  worse  and  worse,  until,  by  the  middle  of  February, 
they  had  reached  their  climax.  The  whole  service  was 
interrupted  by  hissing,  whistling,  and  shouting ;  songs  were 
roared  out  during  the  sermon  and  lessons,  and  cushions, 
hassocks,  and  books  were  hurled  at  the  altar  and  its  furni- 
ture ;  while  the  clergy  were  spat  upon,  hustled,  and  kicked 
within  the  church,  and  only  protected  from  greater  out- 
rages by  the  efforts  of  sixty  or  eighty  gentlemen  from 
different  parts  of  London,  who,  unasked,  came  to  the 
rescue. 

Mr.  Lowder  wrote  long  afterwards  of  a  little  self-elected 
guardian  to  the  Mission  clergy  at  this  time  : — 

During  the  riots  in  the  parish  church,  when  the  Mission  clergy 
assisted  the  Rector  in  his  time  of  need,  and  were  themselves  in 
considerable  danger  from  the  mob,  while  returning  from  the 
church  to  the  Mission  House,  we  generally  found  on  our  way 
home  a  little  girl  from  the  school,  trotting  close  by  our  side,  as 
though  to  protect  us  from  the  violence  of  the  people,  who  were 
pressing  and  shouting  around  us.  She  would  take  up  her  position 
near  the  church,  and  often  wait  a  long  time  until  we  appeared ; 
and  if  we  did  not  recognize  her  before,  we  soon  heard  a  little 
voice  by  our  side,  addressing  us  by  name  to  show  that  she  was 
near.  This  child,  a  wild  little  thing,  living  in  an  unfavourable 
atmosphere  at  home,  was  afterwards  taken  into  St.  Stephen's 
Home  and  sent  out  to  service,  and  is  now  married. 


VIOLENCE  AND  SACRILEGE. 


l8l 


At  length  public  feeling  was  aroused  ;  and  the  Home 
Secretary  was  appealed  to  in  newspapers,  by  several  mem- 
bers of  Parliament,  and  by  a  deputation,  fifty  London 
incumbents  and  about  a  hundred  other  clergymen  of  every 
shade  of  opinion  joining  in  the  memorial.  On  February 
6th,  and  7th,  Lord  Brougham  rose  in  the  House  of  Lords 
and  spoke  on  the  subject.  Two  passages  from  his  speech 
may  be  given  : — 

I  beg  to  have  it  distinctly  understood  that  the  question  of 
putting  down  this  disgraceful  nuisance  has  nothing  whatever  to  do 
with  the  supposed  errors  out  of  which  these  disturbances  have 
arisen.  Be  the  clergyman  ever  so  much  in  the  wrong  (and  I  do 
not  say  that  he  is  in  the  wrong),  this  does  not  furnish  an  atom  of 
excuse,  or  even  of  extenuation,  for  such  scandalous  exhibitions. 
I  can  only  repeat  the  expressions  of  disgust  at  those  proceedings 
which  I  uttered  on  a  former  evening,  and  my  conviction  that, 
whatever  may  be  the  merits  of  the  question,  whether  as  to  dogma 
or  discipline,  it  is  not  to  be  settled  by  the  outrages  of  a  riotous  mob. 

The  Home  Secretary  at  last  gave  orders  that  the  police 
were  again  to  attend  at  the  church.  Instead,  however, 
of  being  dispersed  amongst  the  congregation  as  at  first, 
a  force  of  sixty  was  marched  into  the  church  with  such 
display  as  increased  irritation,  and,  notwithstanding  the 
Rector's  remonstrances,  during  the  morning  service,  which 
had  not  been  interrupted  for  some  Sundays.  There  they 
remained,  inactive  witnesses  of  disgraceful  scenes.  On 
February  26th  and  March  4th,  the  mob  took  possession  of 
the  choir  stalls,  pelted  and  defaced  the  altar  hangings 
with  orange-peel  and  bread  and  butter,  and  threw  down 
the  altar  cross.  On  the  following  Saturday,  the  Bishop 
sent  an  informal  monition  to  the  churchwardens  to  remove 


I82 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


the  choir  stalls,  the  altar  hangings,  and  the  altar  cross. 
His  directions  were  forwarded  at  so  late  an  hour  on  Satur- 
day night  that  it  was  impossible  for  the  Rector  to  obtain 
legal  advice.  The  churchwardens  gladly  carried  out  the 
injunctions,  and  all  the  special  objects  of  the  rioters'  hate 
were  swept  away. 

It  was  not  likely  that  they  would  pause  in  their  career 
of  easy  victory.  The  clergy,  deprived  of  their  stalls,  had 
retreated  to  seats  placed  within  the  altar  rails,  as  the  only 
place  left  free  for  them ;  but  the  mob  soon  invaded  the 
altar  itself,  taking  possession  of  the  seats  of  the  clergy  and 
choristers.  On  the  following  Saturday,  May  19th,  an  order 
arrived  from  the  Bishop  desiring  the  churchwardens  to 
remove  the  forms  which  had  been  placed  within  the  altar 
rails  for  the  clergy,  to  hinder  them  from  walking  into 
church  in  procession,  and  to  place  them  wherever  they, 
the  churchwardens,  might  choose. 

The  English  Church  Union  became  alarmed  at  the 
consequences  involved  in  the  question  of  the  legality  of 
these  monitions  from  the  Bishop,  not  through  his  court,  but 
sent  as  a/^rj6';/^2/ act.  The  question  appeared  to  them  to 
be — Were  the  services  and  ritual  of  the  church  in  each 
parish  to  be  subject  henceforward  to  the  decision  of  the 
lawful  tribunals  of  the  Church,  or  to  the  wishes  and  com- 
mands of  any  individual  Bishop  The  executive  of  the 
Church  Union  resolved  to  take  the  opinion  of  several  of 
the  most  eminent  legal  authorities  on  such  questions,  as  to 
the  lawfulness  of  the  several  orders  made  by  the  Bishop 
for  changes  in  St.  George's  Church.  A  consultation  was 
held  upon  this  point  by  Dr.  Phillimore,  with  Messrs.  J.  D. 
Coleridge,  Prideaux,  and  Stephens.     They  unanimously 


LETTER  FROM  LAYMAN." 


183 


expressed  their  conviction  that  the  so-called  "  monitions  " 
were  "  not  worth  the  paper  upon  which  they  were  written." 

The  mob  continued  to  use  their  opportunities.  The 
story  of  the  riots  may  be  concluded  in  the  words  of  "  A 
Layman"  in  the  letter  to  Lord  Brougham  already  mentioned, 
written  in  April,  i860  : — 

Nearly  every  point  assailed  has  been  (unwisely  I  think) 
surrendered  for  the  sake  of  peace.  .  .  .  And  what  has  been  the 
result  ?  Why,  that  the  state  of  things  is  as  bad,  if  not  worse  than 
ever  it  was.  A  pretty  close  attendant  at  the  services  at  St. 
George's  for  some  months,  I  will  venture  to  say  that  the  scene  of 
riot  and  blasphemy  on  Sunday,  the  8th  of  the  present  month,  has 
never,  on  more  than  one  or  two  occasions,  been  equalled,  certainly 
never  surpassed.  There  were  the  same  execrations,  hisses,  and 
laughter,  the  same  bursts  of  groans  and  howlings,  the  same  stamp- 
mg  of  feet  and  slamming  of  doors,  the  same  hustling  of  the  clergy 
and  maltreadng  of  helpless  litde  choir-boys,  the  same  blasphemies, 
the  same  profanity,  the  same  cowardliness,  the  same  brutality 
as  ever.  I  can  find  no  words  which  more  thoroughly  express 
my  sense  of  the  horrors  I  witnessed  than  the  language  of  the 
reports  which  appeared  in  the  daily  journals  (all  of  then^  anti- 
Tractarian)  on  the  following  day.  "  It  was  left  for  last  night," 
they  say,  "  to  witness  a  series  of  the  most  diabolical  outrages  ever 
perpetrated  in  any  church.  The  conduct  of  the  mob  was  perfectly 
fiendish."  .  ,  .  The  most  violent  outbreaks  usually  occur  during 
the  reading  of  the  scripture  lessons,  the  recital  of  the  Creed,  the 
chanting  the  "Gloria"  or  the  "Prayer  for  Bishops  and  Clergy."  .  .  . 

,  .  .  These  riots  are  not  a  question  for  argument,  for  concession, 
for  temporizing .  they  are  a  scandal  to  be  put  down,  an  infraction 
of  law  and  order  to  be  suppressed  by  the  strong  hand,  i?nmediately 
and  at  any  cost  In  a  word,  my  lord,  not  another  Sunday  should 
be  permitted  to  witness  these  awful  scenes  of  blasphemy  and 
sacrilege.    They  should  be  suppressed  next  Sunday;  not  by 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


draughting  into  the  church  a  large  body  of  poHce,  to  be  silent 
witnesses  of  the  outrages,  but  by  giving  them  instructions  to  take 
every  individual  rioter — the  whole  congregation  if  they  come 
within  that  categorj- — into  custody;  and  means  should  be  taken 
to  compel  the  magistrates,  for  once  in  their  lives,  to  administer 
strict  justice  instead  of  paternal  counsels,  as  is  usually  the  case 
Avith  persons  charged  with  rioting  at  this  church.  Leniency  is  a 
fatal  mistake  in  matters  of  this  kind.  I  have  seen  and  known 
enough  of  the  riots  and  the  rioters  to  be  enabled  to  register  my 
solemn  conviction  that  there  is  scarcely  a  particle  of  religious  feel- 
ing involved  in  the  matter. 

...  Is  a  consecrated  church  to  be  profaned  by  scenes  of  riot 
and  blasphemy  and  violence  which  would  not  be  tolerated  for  a 
moment  in  a  Roman  Catholic  church,  in  a  Dissenting  chapel, 
in  a  theatre,  a  concert-room,  a  casino,  or  in  IMr,  Churchwarden 
Thompson's  public-house  at  the  corner  of  Cannon  Street  ?  .  .  .  I 
believe  that  if  the  majesty  of  the  law  had  been  vindicated  in  one 
solitary  case — if  a  single  rioter  had  been  punished  with  a  short 
imprisonment  and  hard  labour — anything  to  stam.p  the  crime  of 
sacrilege  with  judicial  reprobation — the  Sunday  services  at  St. 
George's  would  not  be,  as  they  now  ai^e,  a  weekly  scandal.  .  .  . 
No  language  which  I  can  employ  could  convey  a  stronger  censure 
upon  each  and  all  of  them — the  Home  Secretary,  the  Chief  Com- 
missioner of  Police,  and  the  magistrates — than  the  single  fact  that, 
up  to  the  very  day  at  which  I  write,  these  atrocious  scandals,  far 
from  being  suppressed,  are  reiterated  every  Sunday  under  circum- 
stances of  increased  atrocity. 

On  INIonday,  February  6th,  the  day  after  the  most  awful  riot 
I  ever  beheld  in  my  life  ...  Sir  Cornewall  Lewis  deprecates  the 
use  by  ^Ir.  F.  Byng  of  the  terra  "  outrages  "  as  being  applicable 
to  these  proceedings.  .  .  .  Ever)'  act  of  the  Bishop  of  London, 
since  his  first  intervention,  has  resulted  in  a  triumph  for  the  rioters 
over  the  Rector  of  St.  George's.  .  .  .  And  the  magistrates.  .  .  . 
Out  of  the  dozens  of  cases  which  have  been  brought  before  them, 
they  have  not  punished  a  single  rioter  with  imprisonment. 


LETTER  FROM  AIR.  HUGHES. 


185 


T  have  shown  that  for  many  months  the  house  of  God  has 
been  desecrated  by  the  most  appalhng  outrages,  that  His  conse- 
crated servants  have  been  refused  that  protection  from  personal 
violence  which  they  have  a  right  to  demand  as  citizens,  and  that 
they  have  been  absolutely  surrendered  to  the  mercies  ot  a  perse- 
cuting mob.  I  have  shown  that  they  have  vainly  appealed  to  the 
law  of  the  land,  that  they  have  been  denied  all  redress,  that  they 
are  deserted  by  the  authorities,  and  that  their  own  Bishop  has — 
well,  my  lord,  that  their  own  Bishop  is  not  on  tlieir  side  in  the 
matter.  In  a  word,  my  lord,  I  trust  I  have  shown  that  there  is 
now  no  earthly  tribunal  open  to  them  but  that  to  which  I  con- 
fidently appeal — the  public  opinion  of  the  country,  its  justice,  and 
its  common  sense. 

In  June  Mr.  Lowder  received  the  following  letters  from 
the  author  of  "  Tom  Brown's  School  Days  "  : — 

3,  Old  Square,  Lincoln's  Inn,  June  7,  1S60. 

My  dear  Sir, 

I  venture  to  apply  to  you  to  know  if  anything  can  be 
usefully  done  to  bring  about  a  better  state  of  things  in  St.  George's 
Church  in  this  fashion. 

Arthur  Stanley  was  up  last  week,  and  has  got  the  sanction  of 
the  Bishop  to  the  plan,  if  it  can  be  carried  out. 

Hansard  (who  is,  I  think,  known  to  you  by  name)  is  now 
without  a  cure.  He  it  was  who  sent  me  and  others  to  St.  George's 
last  autumn.  He  sympathizes  with  you  all  heartily,  and  is  in 
favour  of  good  music  and  church  decoration  ;  in  fact,  for  a  clergy- 
man who  is  not  professedly  a  High  Churchman,  I  know  no  one 
who  more  lionestly  appreciates  and  respects  that  section  of  the 
Church,  and  the  work  they  are  doing. 

If  Mr.  Bryan  King  would  not  object  to  take  a  year's  rest,  the 
Bishop  will  sanction  it,  and  Hansard  would  take  the  cure  for 
the  year.  We  have  carte  blanche  as  to  funds,  so  that  Mr.  King 
would  not  be  put  to  any  expense  whatever,  and  would  receive  his 


CHARLES  I.OIVDER. 


full  stipend  (though  I  am  aware  that  this  would  not  weigh  much 
with  him).  I  do  conscientiously  believe  that  no  better  plan  could 
be  hit  upon  for  getting  rid  of  this  scandal ;  and  in  the  course  of 
the  year  I  am  sure  that  we  could  so  an-ange  and  organize  matters 
that  Mr.  Bryan  King  on  his  return  should  be  able  to  take  up  his 
ministry  again,  without  any  recurrence  of  these  disgraceful  riots. 
I  am  sure  that  you  would  all  like  Hansard,  and  be  able  to  work 
well  with  him,  and  that  he  is  just  the  man  to  deal  with  this  state 
of  things.  Can  you  help  us  ?  I  do  think  that  if  Mr.  Bryan  King 
would  see  and  talk  with  Hansard,  they  would  arrange  everything 
satisfactorily  as  to  what  should  be  done.  I  should  add  that  this 
is  no  plan  of  the  Bishop,  though  he  has  approved  of  it  if  it  can  be 
managed.  I  do  not  think  that  he  has  acted  well  in  this  matter, 
and  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  a  plan  coming  from  him, 
though  I  am  glad  to  have  got  his  approval  for  this,  which  I  do 
believe  to  be  the  very  best  course  to  be  taken  just  now.  Please 
let  me  hear  from  you  soon. 

Ever  yours  most  truly, 

Thomas  Hughes. 

3,  Old  Square,  June  9,  i860. 

My  dear  Sir, 

Thanks  for  your  kind  note. 

Hansard  is  unluckily  out  of  town  for  Sunday,  having  gone 
down  by  special  invitation  to  preach  in  his  old  country  parish.  I 
will  try  to  bring  him  down  to  see  you  early  in  the  week.  You 
may  rely  upon  it  that  I  would  take  no  part  in  any  plan  which 
I  did  not  think  a  good  one  from  your  point  of  view.  I  most 
heartily  respect  and  sympathize  with  you,  and  your  work  down 
there  is  a  noble  one,  and  it  is  a  most  painful  thing  to  me  as  a 
churchman  to  see  it  interrupted  in  this  way.  I  have  worked  with 
Hansard  in  London  for  many  years,  and  do  not  know  his  equal 
for  dealing  with  the  roughest  part  of  a  London  population,  while 
he  makes  no  secret  of  his  respect  and  liking  for  the  High  Church 
party,  though  neither  he  nor  I  can  be  said  exactly  to  belong  to  it. 


VICTORY  OF  THE  MOB. 


I  do  think,  please  God,  if  Mr.  Bryan  King  can  make  up  his  mind 
to  take  a  year's  rest,  that  all  may  be  now  set  right. 

Believe  me  to  remain,  most  truly  yours, 

Thomas  Hughes. 

The  arrangement  proposed  by  Mr.  Hughes  was  carried 
out.  Mr.  King  left  the  country  on  July  25,  i860,  and 
Mr.  Hansard  took  charge  of  his  parish.  The  services  of 
the  church  were,  before  Mr.  King's  departure,  exactly  the 
same  as  those  in  English  cathedrals,  except  that  hymns 
were  sung  instead  of  anthems.  Still  the  riots  rather  in- 
creased than  abated,  and,  on  November  14th,  the  Bishop 
wrote  to  Mr.  King  recommending  that  surplices  for  the 
choir  should  be  given  up,  the  Psalms  read  instead  of 
chanted,  the  black  gown  worn  in  the  pulpit,  etc.  Mr.  King 
was  abroad,  but  answered  the  Bishop's  letter  on  November 
23rd,  refusing  to  sanction  these  changes  in  his  church. 
On  November  22nd,  however,  the  Bishop  had  sent  a  fresh 
"  monition  "  to  Mr.  Hansard,  requiring  him  to  yield  up  for 
demolition  and  abolition  all  that  had  been  demanded.  On 
November  24th,  Mr.  Hansard  refused  to  violate  the  engage- 
ment into  which  he  had  entered  with  Mr.  King  as  to  the 
'mode  of  conducting  the  service,  and  wrote  to  the  latter 
mforming  him  that  he  resigned  his  charge,  and  that  the 
Bishop's  chaplain  would  take  the,  duties  of  the  following 
day.  The  struggle  was  over,  a  memorable  instance  of  the 
victory  of  mob  law. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


REST  FROM  TROUBLES,  AND  LARGER  WORK. 

1 860-1 862. 

"To  strength  and  counsel  joined 
Think  nothing  hard,  much  less  to  be  despaired." 

It  is  a  relief  to  turn  from  the  miserable  story  of  the 
St.  George's  riots.  But  Mr.  Lowder  believed  that,  on  the 
whole,  they  had  "  tended  to  consolidate  and  establish  "  his 
work.  "  The  very  dregs  of  the  people,"  he  said,  "  were 
taught  to  think  about  religion.  Many  were  brought  to 
church  through  the  unhappy  notoriety  which  he  had 
gained  ;  and  some  who  came  to  scoff  remained  to  worship. 
Mr.  Mackonochie's  valuable  assistance  at  St.  Saviour's  was 
bearing  good  fruit.  The  conversion  of  many  souls  in 
the  way  of  true  repentance,  the  increase  of  communicants, 
adults  and  children  brought  to  Baptism  and  Confirmation, 
the  better  organization  and  instruction  of  the  schools,  and 
the  careful  administration  of  the  charities  of  St.  Saviour's, 
all  bore  witness  to  the  zeal  and  power  with  which  his 
missionary  labours  were  carried  on." 

A  friend  to  the  Mission  wrote  to  Mr.  Lowder  about  this 
time  (the  letter  is  undated) : — 


LETTERS  OF  APOLOGY. 


"  I  have  doubled  my  subscription  this  year,  as  I  fear  the  late 
disturbances  may  have  put  you  to  additional  expense,  and,  per- 
haps, done  you  some  damage.  How  far  you  are  involved  with 
Mr.  King  in  the  introduction  of  unusual  vestments,  in  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  Holy  Communion,  etc.,  I  do  not  know,  but  I  should  not 
wish  it  to  be  supposed  that  I  at  all  sympathize  with  such  matters 
because  I  give  your  Mission  some  little  support.  Let  me  say, 
however,  that  though  we  may  differ  on  this  point,  yet  I  most 
thoroughly  venerate  that  spirit  which,  working  in  you  and  your 
fellow-curates,  lias  enabled  you  to  labour  with  such  self-denial 
in  the  desperate  haunts  of  sin  which  surround  you,  and  I  am  sure 
that  your  present  trial,  if  borne  to  the  end  as  you  have  hitherto 
borne  it,  cannot  but  strengthen  your  cause.  Continue  to  look 
with  a  patient  and  pitying  eye  on  the  miserable  men  who  trouble 
you,  for  is  not  the  Church  somewhat  to  blame  that  she  has  allowed 
such  to  grow  up  within  her  borders  ?  " 

The  following  letters  are  too  interesting  (as  showing  the 
change  of  feeling  towards  Mr.  King),  and  too  honourable 
to  the  writer,  to  be  withheld,  although,  for  obvious  reasons, 
names  are  omitted  : — 

My  dear  Sir, 

As  you  were  in  charge  of  the  Mission  works  at 
Michaelmas,  1861,  and  no  doubt  heard  somewhat  of  the  matters 
alluded  to  in  the  enclosed  correspondence,  I  think  it  only  due  to 
send  you  a  copy,  and  further  to  tender  an  apology  to  you  and  the 
other  clergy  for  everything  said  by  me  which  in  any  way  reflected 
on  you  and  them. 

Faithfully  yours, 
Rev.  C.  F.  Lowder.  . 

[copy.] 

Very  Rev.  and  dear  Sir,* 

I  beheve  you  were  present  at  St.  George's-in-the-East 
on  the  morning  when  the  service  was  conducted  and  the  sermon 
*  This  letter  is  addressed  to  a  well-known  dignitary  of  the  Church. 


190  CHARLES  LOWDER. 

preached  by  me.  I  have  no  doubt  you  were  pained  and  grieved 
by  many  of  the  expressions  and  statements  I  then  made  use  of. 
I  now  write  to  express  to  you  my  deep  regret  for  having  uttered 
many  of  the  said  things,  more  especially  those  which  condemned, 
or  appeared  to  condemn,  the  conduct  and  motives  of  the  Rector  of 
the  parish.  I  have  since  been  led  to  see  that  much  (I  do  not  say 
all)  of  what  I  then  spoke  against  is  the  truth  and  power  of  God. 
Will  you  pardon  me  if  I  request  that,  should  you  have  mentioned 
to  Mr.  King  what  then  happened,  you  will  also  lay  before  him 
this  my  retractation  and  apology.  I  ought  in  justice  to  myself  to 
add  :  i.  That  I  write  this  not  at  any  one's  request,  or  even  sug- 
gestion. 2.  I  by  no  means  say  that  I  ex  ammo  assent  and  con- 
sent to  all  that  was  done  during  and  before  the  time  of  the  riots 
by  the  Rector  and  clergy  of  the  parish ;  but  I  do  feel  the  greatest 
respect  for  what  I  now  believe  to  have  been  their  integrity  and 
singleness  of  heart,  and  I  very  much  regret  my  ever  having  been 
guilty  of  so  ungentlemanly  an  act  (to  say  the  least)  of  opposition 
to  a  clergyman  in  his  own  church.  I  remain,  dear  sir,  with  much 
respect, 

Your  faithful  servant, 


My  dear  Sir, 

I  lose  no  time  in  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  your 
letter  of  December  22nd,  and  thanking  you  for  the  very  frank 
confession  which  it  contains.    You  are  right  in  believing  that  I 

was  at  St.  George's-in-the-East  on  .    My  reason  for  attending 

the  service  was  this:  I  Avas  going  to  see  the  Bishop  of  London 
the  next  day,  in  order  to  talk  over  with  him  the  future  arrange- 
ments of  the  church,  and  discuss  the  possibility  of  the  Rector's 
return.  I  could  not  help  saying  to  the  Bishop  that  all  healing  of 
the  troubles  of  the  parish  seemed  impossible  while  the  Rector's 
absence  appeared  to  be  used  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  ill  feeling 
alive  in  tiie  parish.  I  do  not  deny  that  I  was  pained  by  what 
I  heard  from  you  in  the  morning,  and  as  much  and  more  so  by 
what  I  heard  from  Mr.          in  the  evening.    I  will  gladly  avail 


GOOD  FROM  EVIL. 


myself  of  your  permission  to  communicate  to  the  Rector  what  you 
have  said  to  me,  in  fact,  it  is  only  justice  to  yourself  that  I  should 
do  so.    May  God  bless  you  in  your  work. 

Yours  very  truly, 


When,  some  years  afterwards,  Mr.  King  preached  in  the 
parish  at  one  of  the  anniversaries,  he  was  greeted  outside 
the  church  with  a  round  of  hearty  cheers,  many  pressing 
forward  to  seize  his  hands  and  to  assure  him  of  the  change 
in  their  feelings  towards  him.  There  were  also  several 
instances  of  men  who  had  joined  the  scoffers  at  St. 
George's,  but  whose  very  profanity  had  been  the  means 
of  their  being  brought  to  a  better  mind,  and  who  became 
choristers  in  other  churches,  or  assisted  priests  in  Mission 
work.  And  three,  at  least,  of  those  young  men  who  came 
from  other  parishes  to  protect  the  clergy  from  the  mob 
"were  induced,"  as  Mr.  King  wrote  long  afterwards,  "to 
give  up  their  situations  in  commercial  houses  in  order  to 
seek  admission  into  Holy  Orders,  from  the  conviction  that 
the  cause  which  excited  such  deadly  hostility  from  the 
profane  was  one  above  all  demanding  the  devotion  of  the 
servants  and  soldiers  of  Christ  Jesus." 

Another  fruit  of  the  riots  was  the  Working  Men's 
Institute.  A  gentleman,  previously  quite  unknown  to  the 
clergy,  had  come  to  St.  George's  at  the  worst  to  offer 
.'  is  help  in  preserving  order,  and  was  so  deeply  impressed 
;th  the  need  of  all  kinds  of  agencies  for  taking  hold  of  the 
working  classes,  that  he  originated  an  Institute  for  their 
benefit.  It  was  begun  in  Februaiy,  i860,  in  the  Mission 
House  in  Wellclose  Square,  the  clergy  having  removed  to 
another  house,  but  was  so  soon  thronged  by  members  that 


192 


CHARLES  LOVVDER. 


it  was  necessary  to  obtain  larger  and  better  rooms.  The 
new  institution  was  opened  with  an  address  by  the  late 
Rev.  F,  D.  Maurice,  on  October  22,  i860,  and  within  a 
month  was  joined  by  180  members.  It  included  first  and 
second  class  reading-rooms,  and  a  youth's  club,  where  daily 
papers,  periodicals,  chess,  and  other  games  were  provided, 
as  well  as  a  good  circulating  library.  Besides  this,  classes 
were  held  for  those  who  wished  to  profit  by  them  in 
singing,  French,  and  drawing,  as  well  as  for  more  ele- 
mentary teaching,  with  the  generous  help  of  some  of  the 
excellent  teachers  connected  with  the  Working  Men's 
College  in  Great  Ormond  Street.  Lectures  were  given 
once  or  twice  a  month  by  friends  to  the  Mission  —  the 
present  Archbishop  of  Dublin,  Dean  Stanley,  Thomas 
Hughes,  and  others.  During  one  year  more  than  four 
hundred  members  were  admitted,  and  the  Institute  -did  a 
good  work  for  some  years.  It  was  removed,  when  the 
work  in  Wellclose  Square  was  perforce  abandoned,  to  a 
house  in  Old  Gravel  Lane,  opposite  St.  Peter's  Church, 
where  it  still  exists,  though  somewhat  changed  in  character, 
being  less  a  literary  than  a  dining  club,  where  cheap  and 
good  meals  are  provided  for  working  men  and  their 
families. 

In  July,  i860,  Mr.  Lowder  had  the  refreshment  of  "a 
very  delightful  trip  of  three  weeks  to  the  Channel  Islands  " 
with  his  two  sisters  ;  and  on  January  20,  1861,  he  was  at 
Frome,  where  the  whole  family  assembled  to  celebrate  his 
beloved  mother's  birthday. 

It  was  a  winter  of  great  distress,  and  he  made  an  appeal 
in  the  newspapers.  More  than  ;^200  was  sent  to  him  while 
he  was  at  Frome,  which  was  carefully  dispensed  by  the 


SCHOOLS  NEEDED. 


clergy  in  food  and  clothes.  Their  intimate  knowledge  of 
the  district,  of  course,  enabled  them  to  do  this  far  more 
satisfactorily  than  it  could  have  been  done  by  any  other 
agency  ;  still  it  added  to  the  work,  which  was  beginning  to 
press  heavily  upon  the  Mission  clergy  and  to  tell  upon  their 
health.  There  were  only  two  priests  and  a  deacon  at  this 
time  for  the  daily  and  frequent  services  in  two  Mission 
chapels,  besides  all  the  pastoral  work  and  secular  business 
which  fell  upon  them. 

Mr.  Lowder  felt  that,  their  work  having  been  consoli- 
dated, it  was  high  time  to  form  the  two  Mission  districts 
into  ecclesiastical  districts,  each  with  its  own  incumbent. 
This  was  the  more  necessary  on  account  of  the  uncertainty 
of  his  tenure  as  curate,  especially  under  the  circumstances 
of  the  parish  church.  He  therefore  secured  a  site  close  to 
Calvert  Street,  in  Old  Gravel  Lane,  about  a  minute's  walk 
from  the  old  iron  chapel.  On  this  site  now  stands  the 
stately  church  of  St.  Peter's-in-the-East. 

Seven  hundred  children  were  taught  in  the  schools  at 
this  time ;  the  Government  inspectors  reported  that  the 
children  were  "  very  fairly  instructed,"  but  that  "  new 
premises  ought  to  be  provided,"  and  that  there  was 
"want  of  appliances  for  teaching."  Mr.  Lowder's  desire 
was  to  build  a  church  and  use  the  iron  chapel  as  a  school- 
room, "  but,"  he  wrote,  "  we  cannot  build  or  make  improve- 
ments, or  get  better  appliances  for  teaching,  without  larger 
means."  And  from  this  time  especially,  as  fresh  work 
opened  out,  money  anxieties  and  difficulties  added  heavily 
to  that  weight  which  he  patiently  bore  during  the  twenty 
years  that  were  to  pass  before  he  gained  his  rest.  He  had 
doubted  in  1856  whether  ^100  a  year  could  be  raised  to 

O 


194 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


support  one  missionaiy  curate,  and  now,  in  i86i,  the 
expenses  of  the  Mission  were  between  ;;^3000  and  ;^"4000  a 
year. 

He  himself,  it  need  scarcely  be  said,  continued  to  live  in 
simplest  poverty.  A  lay  friend,  who  occasionally  went  to 
the  Mission  House  to  help  him  in  business  matters,  said 
to  the  writer,  "  When  I  saw  his  bedroom  I  said  to  myself, 
'Any  gentleman  who  is  content  to  live  in  this  way  must  be 
in  earnest.'    The  curates'  rooms  were  far  better." 

The  following  letter  from  Mr.  Rowley  shows  that  Mr. 
Lowder  must  have  written  to  him  with  much  anxiety 
about  this  time  of  the  want  of  means  for  carrying  on 
the  Mission  : — 

Mpames  Village,  Manganja  Land,  Central  Africa,  March  lo,  1862. 
My  dear  Mr.  Lowder, 

Thank  you  much  for  your  letters.  This  is  the  third 
time  I  have  tried  to  get  off  an  answer.  Once  our  brethren  carry- 
ing them  were  plundered  of  all — letters  lost ;  another  time  they 
went  to  the  bottom  of  the  Shire,  through  canoe  upsetting ;  and 
now  there  is  but  an  hour  or  so  to  rest  during  a  long  and  hurried 
march  to  ^Tite  my  answer. 

I  sympathize  deeply  with  you  in  your  trouble  in  carrying  on 
the  Mission  for  want  of  adequate  funds.  If  the  work  has  partly 
to  be  given  up  in  consequence,  the  Mission  has  done  well.  It  has 
provoked  other  good  works — think  of  that.  I  wish  I  had  time  to 
write  more  largely ;  attribute  it  only  to  the  right  cause.  Do  not 
think  it  want  of  will  or  affection.  ]\Iy  love  to  all.  May  God  bless 
you  all ;  I  think  of  you  daily.  We  are  much  tried  just  now ;  our 
Bishop  is  dead,  and  we  are  shut  up  in  the  land. 

Ever  most  truly  and  affectionately  yours, 

H.  Rowley. 

Will  you  give  my  kindest  and  most  respectful  remembrances 
to  your  father  ? 


MISSION  AT  BEDMINSTER. 


In  Lent,  1862,  he  went  to  Bedminster  to  conduct  the 
first  parochial  Mission  in  the  Enghsh  Church.  His  lack  of 
eloquence  makes  his  success  in  Mission  work  the  more  re- 
markable. It  may  have  been,  as  the  layman  just  mentioned 
said,  "  The  people  had  heard  others  call  them  '  brethren ' 
from  the  pulpit,  but  they  never  saw  any  one  else  become 
really  their  brother,  living  amongst  them,  in  poverty,  and 
wholly  at  their  call  and  service.  He  was  indeed  their  ser- 
vant, as  he  was  the  servant  of  Christ." 

Some  of  his  Mission  tracts  are,  however,  written  with 
remarkable  strength  and  telling  directness  ;  they  seem  to 
come  straight  from  a  full  heart,  a  soul  intensely  realizing 
the  verities  of  which  he  wrote,  striking  home  to  souls  over 
whom  he  yearned. 

The  Bishop  of  the  diocese  opened  the  Bedminster 
Mission  by  preaching  the  first  sermon  on  Ash  Wednesday, 
and  for  the  ten  following  days  there  were  constant  Mission 
services,  including  lectures  to  two  hundred  colliers  in  the 
schoolroom,  and  ending  with  a  midnight  visit  made  by  the 
Vicar  of  Bedminster  and  Mr.  Lowder  to  a  neighbouring 
coal-mine.  They  were  accompanied  by  the  wife  of  the 
Vicar  and  by  Miss  Lowder,  who  wrote  the  following 
account  of  the  expedition.  After  describing  their  descent, 
she  says  : — 

We  came  to  a  large  open  space  which  they  said  was  the  stable ; 
it  was  now  empty,  and  here  it  was  proposed  that  Charles  should 
preach  to  the  men.  This  being  arranged,  some  of  the  colliers  set 
off  to  assemble  all  in  the  pit,  while  we  continued  our  journey. 
One  of  the  colliers  explained  to  us  how  they  worked  :  they  lie  nearly 
flat  on  the  ground,  and  with  their  axe  dig  out  from  the  bottom  up- 
wards, so  that  the  upper  part  gives  way,  and  large  masses  of  coal 


196 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


fall  off ;  or  as  the  collier  explained  it,  "  when  the  legs  are  cut  off, 
the  body  tumbles."  When  we  returned  to  the  stable,  we  found  a 
goodly  company  of  colliers,  some  standing  upright,  some  leaning 
against  the  black  wall,  while  most  had  seated  themselves  in  rows 
one  behind  the  other.  The  effects  of  light  and  shade  cast  by 
their  numerous  lights  was  very  striking.  The  service  began  with 
the  hymn  "  Rock  of  Ages  ; "  it  seemed  well  known  to  all  of  them, 
and  they  joined  in  it  most  heartily.  Then  they  all  seated  them- 
selves again,  and  listened  most  attentively  to  the  sermon.  Chai^les 
spoke  to  them  of  the  rock  on  which  they  were  seated ;  of  the  rock 
over  them  and  all  around  them;  of  the  Creator  of  that  rock, 
even  God,  "WTio  made  all  things.  They  could  not  tell,  he  said, 
how  long  this  rock  had  been  buried  imder  the  earth ;  yet  there 
was  a  Rock  before  it — the  Rock  of  Ages — the  Rock  that  was  cleft 
for  us,  even  Jesus  Christ,  Who  was  before  all  things,  and  by  Whom 
all  things  were  made.  He  told  them  what  He  had  done  for  us  in 
His  Incarnation  and  Passion,  and  then  spoke  of  what  sin  was — 
a  fresh  insult  to  Him, — of  repentance,  and  a  judgment  to  come. 
He  talked  to  them  of  the  Hartley  Pit  accident,  and  of  what  those 
men  would  have  given  for  a  longer  time.  "  Would  you  not  like 
to  see  that  tin  flask,"  he  said,  "which  bears  so  simple  an  inscrip- 
tion, perhaps  scratched  on  it  at  the  very  moment  when  the  full 
danger  of  his  situation  burst  upon  the  WTiter :  '  Mercy,  O  God  ! '  ?  " 
Then  we  all  knelt  down,  and  said  the  Lord's  Prayer.  The  Vicar 
spoke  to  them  afterwards,  telling  them  of  a  plan  he  had  formed 
for  their  benefit :  that  he  wished  to  have  a  room  for  them,  open 
every  evening,  where  they  might  go  and  read  the  papers,  and  have 
tea  and  coffee,  and  where  lectures,  both  instructive  and  amusing, 
would  be  given.  He  told  them  that  his  great  wish  was  to  serve 
them  in  sickness  and  in  health,  but  that  he  would  much  rather 
serve  them  in  health,  for  then  when  sickness  came  they  would 
know  each  other  the  better.  He  said  he  had  been  called  but  a 
day  or  two  before  to  the  bedside  of  a  sick  man,  whom  he  asked 
concerning  his  soul's  health ;  but  the  man  could  not  answer  him. 
He  then  told  him  to  say  the  Lord's  Prayer  after  him:  but  the 


IFAAT  OF  CLERGY. 


197 


sick  man  was  unable  to  do  it.  He  tried  again,  asking  him  to 
say  only,  "God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner;"  the  man  said 
"  God,"  and  could  say  no  more. 

A  deep  impression  was  made  upon  many  at  Bedminster, 
and  the  Vicar,  Mr.  Eland,  writing  some  time  after,  said  that 
he  looked  back  upon  the  Lent  Mission  with  entire  satis- 
faction. 

This  year  of  1862  was  in  many  ways  a  bright  and 
encouraging  one  to  Mr.  Lowder ;  the  strain  of  troubles  at 
the  parish  church  was  over.  His  little  pamphlet,  "  Five 
Years  at  St.  George's,''  I^^d  drawn  attention  and  interest  to 
the  Mission,  and  a  heavy  debt  which  had  hampered  the 
funds  was,  at  Easter,  finally  extinguished.  He  was  full  of 
schemes  for  buying  the  Danish  Church  in  Wellclose  Square, 
which  was  offered  for  ;^2000,  of  raising  an  endowment, 
building  schools,  and  forming  the  district  into  a  separate 
parish.  This  scheme,  which  was  never  to  be  realized, 
he  seems  to  have  thought  easier  to  accomplish  than  that 
which  came  to  pass — the  formation  of  the  parish  of  St. 
Peter's  in  the  Calvert  Street  district. 

He  was  the  more  anxious  to  establish  the  work  in  both 
districts  on  a  definite  ecclesiastical  system,  because  it  was 
suffering  severely  from  lack  of  sufficient  clergy.  Mr.  Mac- 
konochie  had  been  called,  this  year,  to  the  charge  of  St. 
Alban's,  and  Mr.  Lowder  lost  in  him  one  whose  place 
could  never  be  entirely  filled.  He  was  now  left  alone  to 
carry  on  the  work  once  allotted  to  three  priests,  with  only 
the  help  of  two  deacons,  having  lost  the  Chaplain  of  the 
House  of  Mercy  at  Hendon  ;  and  he  writes  of  himself  at 
this  time  as  "  trying  to  hold  his  ground  till  relief  comes," 


198 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


In  the  end  of  August  he  took  a  much-needed  holiday 
among  the  Swiss  mountains,  and  crossed  the  St.  Bernard, 
visiting  Milan,  Turin,  Verona,  and  Como,  returning  by 
Trent  and  Meran,  Innspruck,  Salzburg,  and  Munich.  It 
was  his  first  visit  to  the  Austrian  Tyrol,  where  his  last  days 
were  to  be  spent. 

I  feel  all  the  better  for  my  holiday  (he  wrote  to  his  mother 
from  Bruges  on  September  15th),  and  hope  to  get  on  with  my  work 
when  I  return,  as  I  shall  have  plenty  to  do.  I  fear  I  shall  be  the 
only  priest,  though  there  are  two  deacons.  One  of  them,  I  think, 
will  be  a  great  help,  though  he  has  only  determined  to  remain  till 
Christmas.  This  will  probably  be  the  last  of  my  long  letters,  as 
I  shall  not  have  much  time  for  writing,  and  I  quite  dread  the  sight 
of  a  month's  correspondence  which  I  shall  find  on  my  return. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


FOREIGN  TOURS, 
1862. 

"  O  there  is  sweetness  in  the  mountain  air, 
And  life  that  bloated  ease  can  never  hope  to  share," 

On  the  first  Thursday  in  Advent,  1862,  the  "Confraternity 
of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,"  of  which  Mr.  Lewder  was  one 
of  the  founders,  was  inaugurated. 

Of  other  works  in  his  Mission  he  could  write  in  1863  that 
"  the  great  bond  of  these  associations  is  the  Holy  Eucha- 
rist," "forming  more  and  more  the  life  of  the  Mission."  The 
communicants  steadily  increased,  and  on  some  festivals 
tliere  were  choral  celebrations  for  the  schools,  interspersed 
with  hymns  sung  by  the  children,  to  whom  this  service 
became  full  of  brightness  and  heartiness. 

Mr.  Lowder  used  to  be  asked  sometimes  by  those  ex- 
perienced in  education,  how  it  was  that  children  and  young 
people  in  his  schools  seemed  to  grasp  and  carry  away  with 
them  the  faith,  far  more  than  those  in  more  advanced 
schools.  His  answer  was  that  he  thought  it  was  the  result 
of  the  effort  made  in  the  Mission  schools  to  lay  a  deep  and 
sound  foundation  of  elementary  dogmatic  teaching.  The 
first  principles  of  the  Creed  were  impressed  over  and  over 


200 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


again  in  the  catechisings  in  church,  -which  were  addressed 
to  all,  even  to  the  youngest.  He  found  that  this  teaching, 
coming  with  authority  and  the  associations  of  the  services, 
was  very  effectual  in  impressing  sound  Christian  doctrine. 

The  children  themselves  did  not  agree  with  Mr.  Rowley, 
that  ]\Ir.  Lowder  had  not  a  happy  way  with  them.  It  was 
a  great  offence  if  one  of  the  curates  took  the  catechising, 
and  one  little  girl,  remarkable  for  expressing  her  feelings, 
used  to  say  aloud  on  such  occasions,  "  There  now,  it  'tairii 
Mr.  Lowder  ;  'tis  a  shame."  One  of  the  infant  school- 
mistresses writes  : — 

I  was  working  down  there  from  i860  to  1870,  ten  of  the  very 
happiest  years  of  my  life,  and  I  will  speak  as  I  ever  then  found 
him.  I  could  go  on  for  ever  speaking  of  his  love  for  little 
children.  He  was  rarely  seen  alone  in  the  streets;  generally  he  had 
a  train  of  tiny  children  after  him.  Many  is  the  time  I  really 
wished  him  further  off,  when  I  was  very  busy  with  a  lesson,  or 
pla}"time  was  "just  up;"  for  as  soon  as  he  appeared  diere  was 
nothing  but  fun.  He  used  to  take  the  skipping-ropes  out  of  their 
hands  and  say,  "Come,  you  can't  skip.  I'll  show  you  how;  look  at 
me,"  and  g^a^•ely  skip  away  amidst  peals  of  laughter ;  then  burst 
out  and  laugh  till  he  looked  at  his  watch,  then  :  "  Oh,  hush  !  or 
we  shall  be  put  in  the  comer,"  and  off  he  would  run. 

Eut  the  catechising — how  I  wish  others  could  do  the  same — he 
riveted  the  children's  attention.  I  never  heard  any  one  catechise 
as  he  did. 

Children's  funerals  were  made  the  occasion  of  teaching 
and  comfort  to  their  parents,  everything  connected  with 
them  being  made  bright  and  beautiful.  A  little  child,  early 
in  1863,  was  going  home  just  after  the  Litany  and  cate- 
chising in  church,  when  she  stayed  to  play  with  a  school- 


CHILD'S  FUNERAL. 


201 


fellow,  and  slipping  from  the  kerb,  fell  under  the  wheel  of 
a  coal-waggon,  which  crushed  her  head  and  killed  her  on 
the  spot.  Mr.  Lowder  came  up  a  moment  after,  took 
charge  of  the  little  body,  and  then  went  to  break  the 
tidings  to  her  mother,  sending  for  a  Sister  to  comfort  and 
support  her.  He  had  the  little  coffin  reverently  laid  out  in 
the  school-room,  where  the  parents  visited  it,  and  on  the 
funeral  day  there  was  a  choral  celebration  in  the  Chapel 
of  the  Good  Shepherd,  the  funeral  service  being  sung  at 
eleven.  Nor  did  he  leave  his  little  one  till  she  was  laid 
at  rest ;  twenty-five  of  the  clergy  and  choir,  with  three 
hundred  school-children,  bore  her  to  the  Tower  Hamlets 
Cemetery,  a  violet  pall,  with  its  cross  and  crown  of  snow- 
drops, covering  the  coffin,  the  bier  carried  by  girls  from 
the  Industrial  Home,  while  many  hymns  were  sung  during 
the  procession  and  at  the  grave.  The  great  delight  of  the 
child  had  been,  on  coming  from  school,  to  sing  the  hymns 
and  repeat  the  Creed  she  had  learnt,  and  to  try  to  teach 
them  to  a  tiny  brother.  And  now  the  mother  began  to 
prepare  for  her  own  Confirmation  and  first  Communion. 

Thus  the  foundations  of  the  spiritual  temple  were  care- 
fully laid,  stone  by  stone,  before  those  of  the  material 
structure  had  been  begun  ;  and  Mr.  Lowder  could  feel  that 
as  soon  as  ever  the  church  he  hoped  to  build  was  conse- 
-crated,  he  could  transfer  to  it  a  congregation  already  trained 
to  value  its  blessings. 

The  following  letters  to  his  mother  were  written  in  Lent, 
1863,  and  during  a  short  autumn  holiday: — 

Mission  House,  Wcllclose  Square,  E.,  March  7>  1S63. 
...  I  am  now  simply  alone  until  Palm  Sunday  or  Easter ; 
depending  upon  what  help  I  can  get,  with  Lent  services  and  work, 


202 


CHARLES  LO  WDER. 


and  sixty  or  seventy  to  prepare  for  Confirmation,  besides,  of 
course,  looking  forward  to  Easter  Communions,  but  I  am  happy 
to  say  I  have  been  remarkably  well  since  the  beginning  of  Lent, 
having  had  no  indigestion  for  three  weeks,  and  feeling  well  up  to 
my  work.  We  are  very  poor  just  now,  but  depending,  I  hope, 
upon  our  good  God,  who  has  never  yet  failed  us.  I  am  reading  a 
very  interesting  life  of  the  Cur^  d'Ars,  which  is  very  encouraging. 
To-day  we  are  fortunately  out  of  the  bustle,  but  I  expect  we  shall 
have  some  of  the  Danish  royal  family  at  the  Danish  service  on 
Mid-Lent  Sunday,  when  we  shall  have  to  pay  them  some  atten- 
tion, which,  being  a  Sunday,  we  can  do. 

Interlaken,  August  22,  1863. 
...  I  am  ashamed  to  find  that  though  my  intentions  were 
good,  they  have  been  so  badly  carried  out,  and  that  it  is  now  a 
fortnight  since  I  wrote  to  you,  but  the  truth  is  we  have  been 
moving  about  so  much  and  taking  so  much  exercise,  that  I  have 
had  little  time  besides  except  for  eating  and  sleeping.  I  left 
Chamounix  with  Powles  and  his  wife  on  Monday  morning,  my 
travelling  friend  not  being  well  and  riding  to  Martigny.  We 
were  only  together  for  an  ascent  of  about  an  hour  and  a  half  to 
Montanvert,  where  you  get  upon  the  Mer  de  Glace.  Here  I  was 
again  fortunate  in  meeting  a  party  going  upon  the  same  expe- 
dition as  myself  to  the  Jardin,  and  they  kindly  allowed  me  to 
accompany  them.  They  turned  out  to  be  Captain  Fowke,  the 
architect  of  the  late  Exhibition  Building,  alias  the  Brompton 
Boilers,  Dr.  Lyon  Playfair,  and  a  friend.  Our  walk  was  over  a 
rather  difficult  moraine  (as  the  loose  earth  and  stones  which  the 
glaciers  throw  up  are  called) ;  then  over  the  Mer  de  Glace,  an 
immense  glacier  from  Mont  Blanc,  very  interesting  to  me  as  my 
first  expedition  upon  a  glacier ;  then  up  a  steep  and  rocky  path 
over  an  intervening  mountain,  and  then  across  another  glacier, 
the  Glacier  de  Tacul.  The  interest  of  this  expedition  is  that  it 
takes  you  into  the  very  heart  of  Mont  Blanc,  among  very  wild  and 
arctic  scenery,  ice  and  rocks  and  snow  on  every  side.    It  took 


ZERMATT. 


203 


me  about  nine  or  ten  hours  from  Monfcanvert,  spending  about  an 
hour  at  the  Jardin,  which  is  a  sort  of  oasis  of  verdure  in  the 
midst  of  the  ice.  I  slept  at  Montanvert  that  night,  started  off  at 
6.30  the  next  morning,  again  crossed  the  Mer  de  Glace,  and 
on  by  a  passage  called  the  Mauvais  Pas — steps  cut  in  a  perpen 
dicular  rock,  though  now  made  safe  enough  by  a  cord ;  and  on 
to  Martigny,  by  a  very  beautiful  pass  called  the  Tete  Noire,  which 
carried  me  through  some  splendid  mountain  and  valley  scenery, 
and  at  last  by  a  very  long  and  steep  descent  upon  Martigny. 
There  I  again  met  my  friend,  who  was  now  quite  ready  for  work, 
and  we  started  the  next  morning  for  SieiTe  in  the  valley  of  the 
Rhone.  Thence  we  started  on  foot  for  a  mountain  expedition, 
first  into  the  Valley  of  Ananviers,  sleeping  at  a  little  village  in  the 
mountains,  called  St.  Luc.  The  next  morning  we  started  before 
six,  up  a  very  beautiful  mountain  called  Bella  Tola,  whence  we 
had  a  magnificent  view ;  they  say  you  can  see  two  hundred  peaks 
which  are  very  clear,  Monte  Rosa,  Matterhorn,  Mont  Blanc,  and 
many  other  giant  peaks  covered  with  snow.  We  descended  by 
the  Pas  du  Boeuf,  a  wild  pass,  and  our  guide  not  knowing  his 
way,  we  had  a  very  difficult  and  fatiguing  walk,  skirting  the  sides 
of  the  mountain  and  crossing  snow,  into  the  Valley  of  Tournant, 
where  we  again  slept  in  a  little  inn.  Off  again  the  next  morning 
early  into  the  mountains,  and  by  a  fine  pass  into  the  valley  of 
the  Visp.  The  next  day,  Saturday,  we  got  to  Zermatt,  a  short 
walk  of  about  five  hours,  but,  after  all  our  walking  before,  and  in 
the  sun,  rather  fatiguing.  Zermatt  is  beautifully  situated  just 
under  the  Matterhorn  or  Mont  Cervin,  a  very  rugged  peak,  rising 
abruptly  and  majestically  like  the  ridge  of  a  house.  It  has  never 
yet  been  ascended,  as  the  top  is  a  sheer  precipice,  and  it 
never  can  be  ascended  until  steps  are  cut  in  it.  We  were  very 
glad  that  Sunday  brought  us  a  day's  rest ;  unfortunately  it  did 
not  bring  me  my  Sunday  clothes,  as  my  bag  did  not  arrive  until 
Sunday  evening,  when  I  did  not  care  about  it.  We  met  the 
Bishop  of  Oxford  at  Zermatt,  and  he  preached  and  celebrated. 
Monday  we  started  about  five,  and  ascended  a  steep  mountain, 


204 


CHARLES  LOV/DER. 


the  Riffel,  getting  our  breakfast  at  the  top  and  continuing  cut 
walk  afterwards  to  the  Corner  Grat  and  Corner  glaciers,  where 
.beautiful  views  of  Monte  Rosa  are  obtained.  .  .  .  Other  parties^ 
came  into  the  little  inn  in  a  severe  thunderstorm,  drenched, 
some  from  one  expedition  and  some  from  another.  It  was  alto- 
gether an  amusing  scene  .  .  .  ladies  drenched,  others  disputing 
about  beds,  of  which  there  were  far  from  enough  to  accommodate 
the  party,  so  some  had  to  make  up  their  minds  to  a  shake-down 
in  the  salon.  .  .  .  Then  the  party  was  so  large  that  many  could 
not  find  places  in  the  only  sitting-room ;  then  a  part  sat  round, 
looking  on  while  the  rest  took  their  meal,  we  in  our  own  turns 
making  room  for  their  tea.  .  .  .  Next  morning  we  started  about 
live,  and  took  our  breakfast  at  Zermatt.  On  our  way  down  we  met 
a  man  who  missed  his  way  up  in  the  evening  and  was  obliged  to 
sleep  in  the  wood.  After  breakfast  we  started  for  Visp,  along  the 
same  valley  by  which  we  reached  Zermatt,  but  from  St.  Nicholas 
to  Visp  was  new  to  us.  We  reached  Visp  about  7  p.m.,  and  took 
the  diligence  about  10.15  to  Brieg.  Next  day  (Wednesday),  we 
drove  to  Visch,  and  ascended  the  Eggischorn  as  far  as  the 
hotel,  but  were  not  able  to  get  farther  that  evening,  and  the  next 
day  there  was  such  a  severe  snowstorm  that  we  were  obliged  to 
make  our  way  through  it  down  into  the  valley,  where  it  was 
pretty  clear.  We  then  walked  on  through  the  Rhone  Valley  by  a 
very  picturesque  road  to  Oberwald,  and  thence  attempted  to  find 
our  way  to  the  hotel  of  the  Rhone  glacier.  We  had  quite  lost 
our  way  in  the  dark  and  rainy  evening  in  the  wood,  when  we 
fortunately  hit  upon  a  hut  full  of  workmen  engaged  in  making  a 
new  road.  They  were  a  very  joicturesque  party,  though  very  like 
brigands.  However,  one  of  them  kindly  guided  us  into  the 
right  path,  and  after  another  hour's  toilsome  ascent  in  the  dark, 
and  fearing  we  might  still  miss  our  path  and  find  ourselves  among 
the  snows  of  the  mountain,  we  hit  upon  the  cheering  lights  of  the 
hotel,  where  I  was  glad  to  find  a  bed  and  get  into  it.  The  next 
morning,  Friday,  we  started  with  two  companions  .  .  .  over  the 
Grimsel  Pass.    The  snow  was  falling  very  heavily  (this  on  August 


GRIMSEL  PASS. 


205 


2ist)  and  the  path  was  quite  covered,  and,  more  than  that,  our 
guide  was  obliged  to  avoid  it,  as  it  was  deeper  than  in  other 
parts.  We  ascended  with  some  difficulty,  but  when  near  the  top, 
came  to  a  dangerous  slope  so  covered  with  snow  that  the  guide 
thought  of  turning  back ;  indeed,  he  probably  would  have  done  so, 
had  not  a  party  of  Germans  with  another  guide  come  up,  and  the 
two  guides  set  to  work  to  make  a  path  for  us  in  the  snow  up  to 
their  middles.  They  also  told  us  to  beware  of  an  avalanche, 
which  was  already  forming  over  our  path ;  indeed,  one  had 
slipped  under  us.  In  the  midst  of  this,  the  wind  blew  off  my 
hat,  and  as  I  called  to  my  friend  to  stop  it,  he  thought  I  was 
warning  him  of  the  avalanche,  and  so  nearly  fell  dowTi  in  his 
hurry  to  escape.  Luckily  I  recovered  it,  as  it  would  not  have 
been  at  all  pleasant  to  brave  the  storm  on  the  other  side  without 
my  hat,  for  it  was  very  severe  and  cold.  However,  we  got  to  the 
Hospice  safely,  and  having  taken  breath  for  half  an  hour,  pro- 
ceeded through  the  snow,  which  became  softer  and  softer  as  we 
descended.  Below,  we  saw  some  very  beautiful  falls,  which  the 
rain  and  melted  snow  improved,  and  got  on  through  almost  con- 
tinuous rain  to  Reichenbach  near  Meiringen,  after  a  long  and 
tiresome  day's  journey.  A  warm  bath  was  veiy  acceptable  and 
succeeded  in  keeping  off  cold.  Yesterday  we  drove  down  to  Brienz, 
and  came  on  by  the  steamer  to  Interlaken,  where  we  are  very 
much  delighted  to  have  quiet  rooms  in  the  old  monastery,  which 
is  made  a  sort  of  dcpendance  of  our  hotel,  a  nice  garden,  and 
a  beautiful  view  of  the  Jungfrau,  the  great  charm  of  Interlaken. 
It  is  certainly  a  very  enjoyable  place,  and  I  could  gladly  stay  here 
some  time,  but  I  want  to  see  a  little  more  of  the  beautiful 
mountains  of  the  Oberland.  .  .  .  This  last  fortnight  has  been 
very  enjoyable,  as  we  have  seen  a  good  deal  of  the  mountains  of 
Switzerland  as  well  as  the  valleys,  and  met  with  sufficient  ad- 
ventures to  keep  us  amused.  I  am  glad  to  get  a  day's  rest  to-day 
(Sunday),  and  we  had  an  early  Communion  here,  at  which  the 
Bishop  of  Oxford  celebrated.  It  is  delightful  to  write  this  letter 
in  sight  of  one  of  the  most  beautiful  mountains  in  Switzerland, 


2o6 


CHARLES  LOWDER 


I  am  afraid  the  service  this  evening,  for  which  the  bell  is  going, 
will  prevent  me  from  seeing  the  sun  set  upon  it. 

Want  of  clerical  help  began  to  tell  seriously  on  his 
health,  and  in  the  spring  of  1864  he  became  so  ill  that 
the  usual  festival  in  April  \vas  omitted,  and  he  went 
abroad  early  in  June,  accompanied  by  his  sister  Susan.  Of 
this  journey  she  wrote — 

I  had  a  delightful  tour  with  Charles,  and  made  my  first 
acquaintance  with  Switzerland.  He  was  far  from  well,  so  at  first, 
instead  of  rushing  about,  we  spent  a  fortnight  at  Seelisberg,  above 
the  Lake  of  Uri,  and  enjoyed  it  immensely.  Charles  is  a  delightful 
travelling  companion,  arranges  all  for  you  without  fuss,  and  is 
always  a  welcome  addition  to  a  party,  full  of  spirit,  genial, 
amusing,  and  unselfish,  thoroughly  enjoying  the  fresh  air  and 
bright  sun,  and  gathering  flowers  with  as  much  pleasure  as  a 
child. 

To  his  mother  he  writes  of  "  enjoying  amazingly  sitting 
out  in  the  woods"  and  bathing.  A  few  days  later  he  says — 

I  found  myself  the  first  out  in  the  morning  (at  the  Righi), 
as  from  the  window  of  my  bedroom  I  saw  the  stars  beginning  to 
pale,  and  the  clouds  in  the  east  catching  a  lighter  tint  by  degrees. 

After  the  sound  of  the  horn,  the  whole  company  of  young 
and  old  turned  out,  and  the  sight  was  certainly  worth  the  labour. 
A  heavy  bank  of  clouds  floated  just  over  the  tops  of  the 
mountains,  leaving,  however,  the  summit  exposed;  heavy  mists 
hung  over  the  lakes  below,  and  the  whole  circle  of  the  horizon 
was  traced  with  snowy  peaks,  catching  the  sun's  earliest  rays ;  and 
then  at  last  the  sun  itself  appeared  gradually  from  behind  a  high 
mountain  peak.  I  remember  some  finer  effects  in  a  sunrise  from 
Cader  Idris,  but  of  course  nothing  like  so  grand  a  prospect  of 
lake  and  mountain  scenery. 


MOUNTAIN  WANDERINGS. 


207 


...  I  feel  quite  set  up  by  the  change,  and  Mrs.  — —  said 
she  never  saw  me  looking  so  well ;  I  hope  I  shall  be  able  to 
get  on  well  through  the  winter,  till  I  can  get  down  to  Frome.  I 
should  like  very  much  to  have  been  able  to  have  spent  a  few 
days  now  at  Frome,  but  I  suppose  I  must  relieve  Kane,  who  is 
not  very  strong,  and  will  want  some  rest  himself  I  have  brought 
you  home  an  inkstand  of  Swiss  carving,  which  I  thought  very 
spirited,  and  I  intend  it  as  a  present  to  the  house,  thinking  it 
would  be  more  acceptable  than  a  number  of  smaller  presents  to 
each  of  the  party.  I  hope  you  will  all  like  it  as  an  ornament  for 
the  .Ira wing-room.    I  will  send  it  down  the  first  opportunity.  .  .  . 

His  sister  returned  home  in  about  a  month,  and  he 
travelled  about  for  a  time,  going  by  St.  Gervais  and  Servoz 
to  Sixt.    From  thence  he  wrote— 

We  started  about  4.30  a.m.,  following  a  new  and  pleasant 
route  from  Sixt  to  Chamounix  for  half  an  hour  to  the  Chalets  des 
Fonds,  where  Mr.  Wills  has  built  himself  a  beautiful  chalet,  on 
the  top  of  a  gorge  overlooking  a  lonely  valley,  which  he  calls  "The 
Eagle's  Nest."  Thence  we  struck  up  a  very  steep  path  for  about 
an  hour,  and  sat  down  for  our  luncheon  at  8  a.m.  We  then  started 
again,  and  worked  up  another  stiff  slope  of  half  an  hour  on 
slippery  turf;  thence  we  soon  got  on  to  the  shaly  debris  of  the 
mountain,  and  for  two  hours  were  working  up  very  steep  sides  of 
shale  and  snow,  until  we  reached  the  summit,  which  is  quite 
covered  with  snow.  The  view  was  magnificent,  for  though  rather 
hazy  towards  Geneva,  we  saw  the  whole  of  Mont  Blanc  range 
beautifully,  tracing  the  range  by  the  Weisshorn  down  to  the  Mat- 
terhorn  and  Monte  Rosa,  with  the  surrounding  mountains,  and 
again,  further  east,  the  Jungfrau  and  all  our  old  friends  of  the 
Bernese  Alps,  of  which  I  had  lost  sight  since  we  left  the  Col  de 
Balme.  We  made  our  descent  pretty  rapidly,  and  got  down  to 
Sixt  by  4.30  p.m.,  having  been  out  twelve  hours,  including  two  or 
three  hours'  rest.    It  was  certainly  the  finest  ascent  I  had  ever 


208 


CFtARLES  LOIVDER 


made.  On  Saturday  we  started  back  to  St.  Gervais  by  the  Lac 
de  Gers,  a  steep  ascent  of  half  an  hour ;  there  is  a  bit  of  shady 
forest  and  plain  towards  the  lake,  which  we  ought  to  have  passed, 
but  were  misdirected  ;  then  up  again  for  twenty  minutes,  skirting 
the  sides  of  a  ridge,  partly  on  one  side  and  then  on  another ;  and 
then,  commencing  our  descent,  we  came  down  on  a  very  nice  httle 
bit  of  water,  where  I  had  the  most  charming  bathe  I  have  had 
at  all ;  still  descending  gradually  over  pleasant  turfy  slopes,  till 
we  came  to  a  Col  overlooking  the  Geneva  road,  near  Maglan. 
Thence  our  descent  was  very  steep,  by  a  coal-mine  cut  into  the 
sides  of  the  rocks ;  then  by  a  shady  bit,  with  abundance  of  straw- 
berries and  a  few  raspberries,  and  some  beautiful  sweet-smelling 
pink  cyclamens,  which  brought  us  down  .to  the  Geneva  road  at 
Bellegarde. 

He  returned  to  St.  Gervais,  from  whence  he  writes  to 
his  sister  on  August  8th  : — 

I  found  Captain  and  his  wife  very  pleasant  friends,  and 

am  sorry  to  leave  them  behind  here. 

I  gave  them  three  services  on  Sunday ;  we  had  fourteen  or 
fifteen  communicants  at  nine,  and  twenty-seven  or  thirty  at  the 
morning  service  at  eleven.    We  sang  "  Jerusalem  the  Golden," 

in  spite  of  Lady  ,  who  said  she  hated  it,  and  wanted  "  Rock 

of  Ages  "to  "  Rousseau's  Dream."  Our  hymns  went  off  very  well, 
but  we  could  not  manage  any  chanting.  I  preached  in  the  morn- 
ing, but  did  not  feel  up  to  a  sermon  in  the  afternoon ;  it  was  so 
hot  that  I  was  melting.  My  aristocratic  congregation  expressed 
themselves  much  obliged  for  the  services  I  had  given  them,  and  I 
was  quite  sorry  to  leave  them  without  any  priest  on  Sunday.  At 
our  two  offertories  we  collected  thirty  francs  for  the  poor  of  the 
parish,  the  amount  of  which  I  shall  take  to  the  cure  to-day. 

I  feel  very  well  again,  and  hope  to  enjoy  my  present  trip 
very  much. 

J 


COL  sr.  THEODULE. 


209 


On  the  afternoon  of  August  8th  he  started  with  a  young 
companion  on  a  tour  in  the  Courmayeur  district,  and  went 
from  thence  to  Aosta. 

I  was  particularly  pleased  with  the  cloisters  of  the  Collegiate 
Church  (at  Aosta),  and  with  the  capitals  of  the  piers,  most  quaintly 
carved,  as  far  as  I  could  examine  it,  with  early  Scripture  history 
subjects — the  history  of  Jacob,  such  as  his  meeting  with  Esau, 
and  wrestling  with  the  angel.  The  flocks  and  herds  and  camels 
were  very  good,  but  quaint.  There  were  also  carvings  of  the 
Prophets,  with  some  remarkable  verse  from  their  prophecy.  The 
carvings  of  the  stalls  were  also  good ;  over  each  an  article  of  the 
Creed,  alternating  with  a  text  on  the  subject  of  the  article.  The 
Val  d' Aosta,  in  approaching  it  from  Courmayeur,  though  beautiful 
and  dotted  with  the  ruins  of  feudal  castles,  is  not  so  striking  as 
the  descent  from  Mont  St.  Bernard.  We  drove  on  through  the 
valley  to  Chatillon,  remarkably  situated  over  a  deep  gorge.  Next 
morning  we  went  up  the  Val  Tournanche,  a  very  delightful  walk  to 
Breuil.  It  was  quite  a  beautiful  specimen  of  a  Swiss-Italian  valley. 
Our  walk  lay  in  the  shade,  by  the  side  of  a  mountain  torrent, 
noble  mountains  of  Savoy  behind  us,  and  after  about  two  hours 
the  Matterhom  in  our  front,  its  cold  summit  rising  above  the 
mountains  in  the  foreground.  The  Matterhom  is  a  very  grand 
and  rugged  mountain,  its  highest  peak  as  yet  inaccessible,  though 
many  attempts  have  been  made  upon  it. 

We  got  to  Breuil  about  2  p.m.,  and  I  spent  part  of  the  evening 
enjoying  the  glorious  view  of  the  mountain  over  us,  and  seeing 
the  avalanches  which  came  down  from  its  sides.  It  was  quite 
cold,  from  the  height  at  which  we  were  "and  our  nearness  to  the 
glacier  and  snow,  so  that  in  the  evening  a  good  party  assembled 
very  happily  round  the  fire.  The  next  day  we  started  about  5.30 
for  the  Col  St.  Thdodule ;  we  reached  the  snow  about  6.30,  and 
the  top  of  the  Col  in  an  hour  after.  The  ascent  was  very  easy,  as 
the  snow  was  hard,  but  the  view  from  the  top  is  grand.  You  find 
a  hut  at  the -top,  inhabited  by  a  man,  who  is  called  the  "  Man  of 

p 


210 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


the  Mountain,"- and  it  is  said  to  be  the  highest  inhabited  dwelHng 
in  Switzerland.  He  provides  hot  wine  or  water ;  of  course  the 
snow  and  height  make  it  very  cold.  We  stayed  here  about  twenty 
minutes,  and  then  commenced  our  descent,  still  on  the  glacier, 
which  was  well  covered  with  hard  snow  and  with  few  crevasses, 
so  that  we  got  on  very  easily  for  an  hour  or  two,  till  quite  the  last 
part,  which  began  to  be  a  litde  soft,  as  it  was  now  nearly  lo  a.m. 
You  have  a  view  of  Monte  Rosa  and  the  whole  chain  connected  with 
it.  In  the  descent  Monte  Rosa  seems  comparatively  low,  from  the 
height  from  which  you  see  it  and  your  nearness  to  it,  but  it  is  at 
all  times  a  grand  view.  After  getting  off  the  ice,  and  a  short  rest, 
we  commenced  our  descent  upon  Zermatt,  which  we  reached  about 
11.45,  having  crossed  from  Breuil  in  six  hours  and  twenty  minutes, 
a  good  passage. 

From  Zermatt  he  made  the  ascent  of  the  Weisshorn, 
coming  down  upon  Macugnaga  and  the  Val  Anzasca,  and 
so  to  Stresa,  returning,  after  some  wanderings  amongst 
the  Italian  lakes,  by  the  St.  Gothard  Pass,  and  home 
through  Strasbourg  and  Rheims. 

On  St.  Peter's  Day,  1865,  the  first  stone  of  the  church 
in  Old  Gravel  Lane  was  laid,  ;^'4000  having  been  promised 
or  given.  The  foundations  of  any  building  in  this  locality 
are  extremely  expensive,  as  the  upper  surface  of  the  ground 
rests  upon  a  bog,  and  the  whole  district  is  subject  to 
inundations  from  the  river.*  Mr.  Lowder  writes  at  the 
time,  of  being  obliged  for  want  of  funds  to  raise  a  tem- 
porary west  front,  leaving  the  building  of  the  tower  and 
spire  for  the  future,  as  well  as  that  of  the  schools  and 
Clergy  House,  which,  he  says,  "we  may  hope  will  soon 

*  It  is  necessary  to  lay  the  foundations  of  the  Clergy  House,  which  it  is 
hoped  may  soon  be  begun,  upon  piles. 


MISSION  BUILDINGS. 


21 1 


follow;  "  adding,  "  Then  a  block  of  ecclesiastical  buildings 
would  be  handed  down  to  our  successors  as  a  lasting 
memorial  of  the  Mission  work  here  commenced." 

Alas !  he  was  never  to  see  the  completion  of  what  he 
hoped  to  leave  ready  for  those  who  came  after  him.  May 
we  not  hope  that,  now,  hearts  may  be  stirred  to  finish  his 
material  work,  in  memory  of  him  who  gave  all  he  had — the 
treasures  which  silver  and  gold  cannot  purchase  He 
wrote  himself  in  1864  : — 

Is  it  too  much  in  the  present  day,  when  the  very  spire  of  the 
church  will  rise  amidst  the  crowded  masts  of  our  shipping  and 
the  gigantic  warehouses  which  bear  witness  to  the  vastness  of 
our  commercial  wealth,  to  trust  that  those  to  whom  much  of 
this  wealth  has  been  intrusted  may  be  aroused,  by  the  generous 
examples  of  those  who  have  already  promised  large  contributions, 
to  complete  what  has  been  so  auspiciously  begun  ?  .  .  .  Having 
been  enabled,  by  God's  grace,  to  stand  our  ground  for  nine  years, 
amid  the  many  difficulties  which  have  surrounded  us  in  this  pecu- 
liarly trying  parish;  having  turned  what  at  one  time  seemed  a 
defeat  of  Catholic  faith  and  practice  in  the  parish  church  into  their 
virtual  triumph,  because  never  have  they  been  so  firmly  fixed  as 
at  present ;  having  seen  the  principles  on  which  this  Mission  was 
founded  now  recognized,  and  more  or  less  adopted  and  success- 
fully carried  out,  in  no  less  than  seventeen  neighbouring  parishes 
or  Mission  districts  of  the  East  of  London,  we  surely  may  claim 
the  sympathy  and  support  of  all  members  of  the  Church  in  carry- 
ing out  this  work  to  the  conclusion  which  we  have  long  desired, 
and  which  now  seems  nearer  than  ever  to  its  fulfilment. 

Still  he  was  often  cheered  by  generous  gifts  to  the 
Mission ;  and  a  note  written  at  this  time  mentions  a 
thoughtful  kindness  towards  himself : — 


213 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


Mission  House,  Wellclose  Square,  E.,  July  6,  1865. 

My  dear  Father, 

Yesterday  I  received,  through  Mr.  Liddell,  ;^ioo  from 
an  anonymous  benefactor  for  my  own  personal  use.  I  have  often 
wished  that  I  could  do  something  for  you  and  my  mother,  which 
I  did  not  feel  justified  in  doing  out  of  the  Mission  funds.  I  can, 
however,  use  this  as  I  please.  I  hope,  therefore,  that  you  will 
allow  me  to  send;^5o  for  the  use  of  yourself  and  my  mother  as 
you  may  like  best  to  use  it. 

In  the  autumn  of  1865  he  travelled  with  Dr.  Littledale 
and  Mr,  Nicholson,  visiting  Berlin,  Dresden,  Vienna,  Bel- 
grade, Venice,  and  Rome.    From  Belgrade  he  wrote  : — 

Immediately  on  our  arrival,  we  set  out  to  pay  our  respects  to 
the  Archbishop  of  Belgrade.  Strange  to  say,  we  were  directed 
to  the  German  evangelical  missionary,  who  kindly  came  out  and 
took  us  to  the  palace,  and  acted  as  our  interpreter.  The  Arch- 
bishop not  speaking  German  or  French,  we  had  a  long  interview 
with  him,  delivering  our  letters  of  introduction  from  the  Bishop  of 
London,  and  Littledale  brought  some  books  from  Dr.  Neale  and 
himself.  We  then  asked  him  to  admit  us  to  communion,  as 
Denton  had  been  admitted  at  the  monastery  of  Studentza  lately. 
He  said,  however,  that  this  had  been  done  by  mistake,  and  that 
the  priest  who  admitted  him  did  so  without  authority  of  his 
Bishop,  and  that,  though  a  desire  for  intercommunion  had  been 
expressed,  it  was  yet  too  early  to  sanction  such  an  outward  seal  to 
it  as  this.  We  then  asked  if  we  might  be  allowed  to  celebrate 
after  our  own  rite  in  a  Greek  church,  but  that  was  also  refused  j 
so  eventually  we  gained  permission  to  celebrate  in  a  portion  of 
his  chapel,  which  we  accordingly  did  on  Sunday  morning.  Little- 
dale sung  the  Litany,  and  afterwards  I  celebrated,  with  L.  as 
deacon  and  Nicholson  as  sub-deacon,  making  it  as  choral  as  we 
could,  and  using  incense  which  the  priest  present  supplied. 
The  Archbishop  was  not  there  himself,  but  an  archhuandrite 


BELGRADE. 


213 


provided  us  with  all  necessaries,  such  as  paten,  and  chalice,  and 
veils,  and  bread,  etc.,  and  some  other  priests  were  present  during 
a  portion  of  the  time  in  the  chapel.  After  our  own  service,  we 
were  taken  into  the  cathedral,  where  the  Liturgy  was  that  for  a 
liigh  festival,  as  they  are  keeping  the  Feast  of  the  Assumption, 
their  calculation,  being  twelve  days  behind  ours.  The  service 
vvas  in  Sclavonian,  so  I  could  not  understand  it;  but  the  cere- 
monies are  more  elaborate  and  numerous  by  far  than  a  Roman 
High  jMass.  The  singing  was  not  very  pleasing,  being  without 
any  instrumental  accompaniment.  After  the  Liturgy,  a  good  many 
communicated,  even  children ;  but  this  was  not  so  reverential  as 
with  us,  as  they  merely  came  up  to  the  gates  of  the  Iconostasis — 
a  large  screen,  highly  ornamented,  which  divides  the  nave  and 
choir  from  the  sanctuary — and  received  both  species  standing  from 
a  spoon  which  the  priest  put  in  their  mouth,  the  deacon  wiping 
their  mouths  afterwards  with  a  napkin.  The  Iconostasis,  I  should 
say,  is  beautifully  painted,  and  has  many  pictures  of  our  Blessed 
Lord  and  St.  Mary  on  it.  There  are  also  Eicons,  or  framed 
pictures,  placed  before  it,  which  they  kiss,  and  during  the  service 
many  were  engaged  in  kissing  an  Eicon  in  the  church,  while  the 
priest  crossed  their  foreheads.  We  were  then  taken  into  the 
Bishop's  palace,  where  first  a  little  cup  of  citron  preserve  was 
handed  to  us,  and  then  a  small  cup  of  coffee. 

He  took  a  longer  holiday  than  usual  this  autumn,  re- 
maining abroad  for  two  months,  and  returned  to  his  work 
in  the  Calvert  Street  district  early  in  October. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


ST.  PETER'S   CHURCH — THE   CHOLERA  IN  EAST  LONDON. 

iS66.  • 

By  objects,  which  might  force  the  soul  to  abate 
Her  feeling,  rendered  more  compassionate." 

"  I  WAS  in  Oxford  last  week  (Charles  Lowder  wrote,  March 
15,  1866),  and  got  on  pretty  well  with  promises  of  help 
and  collections  in  various  colleges.  The  Vice-Chancellor 
was  very  kind." 

April  14,  1866. 

Our  church  is  getting  on  nicely,  but  we  shall  have  to  stop 
the  works  soon  unless  we  get  some  more  money,  otherwise  it 
might  be  consecrated  in  the  summer.  I  was  very  glad  to  be  at 
Mr.  Keble's  funeral,  as  it  was  a  day  not  to  be  forgotten,  nor  a 
scene  either,  to  see  Dr.  Pusey  at  the  grave  of  one  he  and  we  all 
loved  so  much. 

St.  Peter's  Church  was  sufficiently  completed  to  be  con- 
secrated on  June  30th  of  this  year  ;  but  first,  on  St.  John 
Baptist's  Day,  a  farewell  service  was  held  in  the  iron 
chapel,  endeared  to  the  whole  congregation  as  the  place 
where  most  of  them  had  received  their  first  religious  im- 
pressions, and  where  they  had  been  taught  and  fed  for  ten 
years.    Some  of  them  said,  with  tears  in  their  eyes,  that 


CONSECRATION  OF  ST.  PETER'S. 


215 


even  after  the  consecration  they  could  never  quite  feel  the 
same  for  St.  Peter's  as  for  their  first  spiritual  home,  the 
Chapel  of  the  Good  Shepherd. 

The  day  of  consecration  was,  of  course,  a  festive  one 
in  the  whole  district.  Old  Gravel  Lane  was  decked  with 
streamers  and  gay  with  flags,  and  the  school-children  lined 
the  way  as  the  clergy  received  the  Bishop  at  the  school- 
room, in  which  he  robed,  and  then  followed  the  long 
procession,  chanting  the  Ve)ii  Creator  up  the  nave  into  the 
chancel.    In  Mr.  Lowder's  words — 

It  was  a  day  ever  to  be  remembered  in  the  history  of  the 
Mission,  whether  for  the  fulfilment  of  long-indulged  anticipations 
in  the  sight  of  a  duly  consecrated  church,  the  beauty  and  solemn 
character  of  St.  Peter's,  the  full  attendance  of  clergy  and  friends, 
or,  above  all,  for  the  hearty  sympathy  of  the  Bishop  in  the  work 
of  the  Mission,  and  the  warm  applause  which  his  encouraging 
words  elicited  from  the  large  gathering  of  friends  (about  three 
hundred)  at  the  luncheon. 

The  Bishop  said  in  his  speech  that  none  could  think  of 
the  self-denying  labours  of  the  Sisters  without  taking  shame 
to  themselves  in  their  comparative  ease  and  luxury.  In 
the  afternoon  there  was  a  flower-show  in  the  school-room, 
opened  by  the  late  Lord  Lyttelton,  with  prizes  for  plants, 
and  a  hearty  Evensong  in  the  newly  dedicated  church. 
The  festival  was  kept  up  through  the  Octave,  friends 
coming  to  preach  each  day,  amongst  others  Canon  Butler. 

A  district  had  been  assigned  to  the  church  by  the 
Ecclesiastical  Commission,  taken  out  of  the  parish  of  St. 
George's  and  St.  Paul's,  Sliadwell.  Mr.  Lowder,  having 
been  nominated  by  the  trustees,  was  licensed  as  Perpetual 


2l6 


CHARLES  LOIVDER. 


Curate,  and,  on  the  resignation  of  tlie  Rector  of  St.  George's, 
became  first  Vicar  of  the  new  parish  of  St.  Peter's-in-the- 
East.    He  described  the  church  himself  at  this  time  as — 

in  the  style  of  the  later  First  Pointed  Gothic,  being  faced  externally 
with  yellow  stock  bricks,  relieved  with  stone  dressings,  and  in- 
ternally with  red  bricks,  having  bands  and  patterns  of  black  bricks. 
The  columns  of  the  main  arches  are  of  blue  Pennant  stone. 
The  plan  consists  of  a  lofty  nave,  sixty-eight  feet  by  twenty- 
seven  feet,  with  clerestory  lights.  It  is  at  present  four  bays  in 
length ;  the  three  western  have  north  and  south  aisles  ten  feet 
\vide.  The  west  walls  are  temporary,  with  provision  for  an 
extension,  and  for  a  north-west  tower  and  slated  spire.  Eastward 
of  the  nave  are  transepts,  north  and  south,  connected  with  it  by 
lofty  arches  piercing  the  clerestory.  The  chancel  is  thirty-five 
feet  long  by  twenty-two  feet  wide,  with  two  trefoiled  windows 
in  the  east  end,  surmounted  by  a  shafted  wheel  window  about 
seventeen  feet  in  diameter. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  chancel  is  a  chapel  much 
beloved  by  the  people,  called  after  the  iron  church,  the 
Chapel  of  the  Good  Shepherd.  It  is  thirty-five  feet  long 
by  sixteen  feet.    Here  the  daily  Eucharist  is  celebrated. 

The  Octave  services  after  the  consecration  of  St.  Peter's 
were  scarcely  over,  when  the  first  alarm  arose  of  the 
approach  of  cholera.  The  clergy  and  Sisters  had  just 
begun  to  look  forward  to  a  little  rest  after  the  necessarily 
hard  work  and  anxiety  of  preparing  for  the  consecration, 
but  now  everything  had  to  be  put  aside,  and  the  Mission 
forces  were  obliged  to  gird  themselves  hastily  for  the  hand- 
to-hand  struggle  of  the  next  few  weeks  against  deadly 
disease  and  death.  A  slight  case  occurred  on  July  i6th, 
from  which  the  patient  recovered,  so  that  Mr.  Lowder  saw 


CHOLERA. 


217 


no  necessity  for  giving  up  attending  a  Retreat  for  clergy 
at  Cuddesdon  ;  "  little  anticipating,"  as  he  wrote  soon  after, 
"  for  what  scenes  he  was  really  preparing  himself  by  those 
quiet  meditations  in  the  Bishop's  Chapel." 

He  had  no  sooner  reached  home  than  he  heard  that  one 
of  the  communicants  of  St,  Peter's  had  died  very  suddenly 
the  day  before,  and  he  was  at  once  in  the  thick  of  a  most 
fearful  visitation,  and  of  all  the  horrors  which  it  involved 
in  such  a  district  as  theirs.  The  night  of  his  return  he  was 
called  to  the  London  Hospital  by  one  of  his  men,  who, 
with  his  wife,  had  lately  been  confirmed  and  received 
his  first  Communion.  She  had  gone  to  the  hospital  that 
morning  for  medicine,  was  advised  to  remain,  and  grew 
rapidly  worse.  But  Mr.  Lowder's  own  words  will  best  tell 
the  story  of  this  cholera  time  : — 

When  we  arrived  at  the  cholera  ward  we  found  her  in  severe 
paroxysms  of  cramp  and  sickness,  and  yet  in  the  intervals  of  pain 
very  thankful  for  such  spiritual  ministrations  and  prayers  as  we 
were  able  to  afford  her.  Though  tenderly  nursed,  she  grew 
weaker,  fell  into  collapse,  and  died  early  in  the  morning.  But  it 
was  not  merely  this  case  which  opened  our  eyes  to  the  power 
of  the  visitation ;  the  ward  was  full  of  cholera  patients  suffering 
terribly  from  the  first  fresh  energy  of  the  awful  scourge.  \Vlien 
once  it  was  known  that  a  clergyman  was  in  the  ward,  one  request 
after  another  was  made  to  him  to  minister  to  some  distressing  case. 
Men,  a  few  hours  before  hale  and  hearty,  lay  struck  down  for 
death;  women,  young  and  old,  groaning  piteously  in  the  agony 
of  their  cramps.  On  one  bed  lay  a  nurse,  whose  mother  and 
children  lived  in  St.  Saviour's  district,  and  who  had  been  attacked 
while  on  duty  in  the  hospital,  and  died  in  a  few  days.  Others 
were  sailors  just  returned  from  sea ;  some  Germans,  either  sailors 
or  labourers  in  the  sugar-bakeries,  or  their  wives ;  another  was  a 
Jewess,  who,  alas !  could  receive  no  Christian  comfort. 


218 


CHARLES  LOWDEk. 


In  ordinary  circumstances  it  was  not  for  a  stranger  to  minister 
indiscriminately  to  the  sick  in  the  hospital,  for  whom  a  chaplain 
is  provided;  therefore  the  first  course  was  to  inquire  for  our 
own  parishioners,  or  at  the  most  for  those  of  St.  George's  parish. 

But  now  it  was  impossible  to  continue  this  distinction.  For 
ministering  to  one  sufferer  we  were  immediately  appealed  to  by  a 
neighbour,  or  a  nurse  or  friend  in  his  behalf;  and  thus  Sunday 
morning  overtook  us  in  the  midst  of  scenes  little  realized  by  those 
who  were  enjoying  their  rest  and  sleep  at  a  distance  in  health  and 
safety. 

At  first,  before  the  disease  fell  so  heavily  upon  the  Mission 
districts,  the  Mission  clergy  were  glad  to  offer  the  Chaplain  of  the 
London  Hospital  what  little  help  they  coujd,  overburdened  as  he 
was  by  this  distressing  addition  to  his  ordinarily  excessive  labours ; 
and  very  interesting  indeed  were  many  of  the  hours,  especially 
in  the  night,  spent  in  these  cholera  wards,  when  hearts  were 
opened  and  tears  shed,  and,  we  may  hope,  repentance  accepted 
from  those  who  had  been  too  little  touched  in  the  time  of  health 
and  strength.  But  the  overpowering  calls  of  our  own  district 
soon  made  it  impossible  to  withdraw  any  time  from  our  immediate 
charge. 

It  can  be  no  wonder  that  in  such  districts  as  ours,  where  there 
is  at  all  times  so  much  poverty  and  distress ;  where  the  drainage 
was  as  yet  untouched  by  the  improvements  made  in  other  parts ; 
where  our  poor  are  so  crowded  from  want  of  house-room  (an  evil, 
alas  !  increasing  instead  of  diminishing) ;  where  the  alleys  are  so 
close,  and  the  sanitary  arrangements  very  defective  (for  where 
landlords  can  always  get  tenants  it  is  very  difficult  to  induce  them 
to  lay  out  money  on  improvements) ;  where,  during  the  hottest 
part  of  the  season,  we  had  fermenting  amongst  us  a  large  manure 
manufactory,  in  which  was  collected,  in  a  very  mountain  of 
impurity,  hundreds  of  tons  of  the  very  refuse  of  the  streets,  the 
stinking  sweepings  of  the  market,  rotten  fish,  oranges,  etc.,  to  be 
mixed  up  and  then  carted  off  to  barges  in  the  river, — it  can,  I  sa}', 
be  no  wonder  that  when  the  cholera  once  broke  out  amongst  us 


PLAGUE-STRICKEN  DISTRICTS.  2ig 

it  should  have  proved  most  fatal ;  in  fact,  that  the  death-rate,  in 
proportion  to  the  population,  should  have  been  higher  than  in  any 
other  part  of  London.  .  .  .  From  a  close  court  situated  in  the 
district,  a  woman  had  been  removed  to  the  workhouse  infirmary 
for  her  confinement,  leaving  at  home  her  husband  and  six 
children.  The  youngest,  a  little  boy,  sickened,  and  though  her 
husband  did  his  best  as  a  nurse,  yet  he  fretted  over  the  care  of  a 
large  shiftless  family  (for  they  were  Irish)  and  himself  fell  ill.  The 
little  boy  died,  and  one  Sunday  evening,  after  service,  we  were 
called  to  see  the  father,  that  he  might  be  removed  to  the  cholera 
ward.  In  a  wretched  room  upstairs  the  poor  fellow  lay  on  a  bed, 
unable  to  help  himself,  and  almost  too  ill  to  allow  others  to  do 
so,  the  children  clinging  to  him,  and  crying  at  his  being  taken 
from  them.  With  difficulty  he  was  supported  through  the  court 
to  the  stretcher-bed ;  while  another  child,  who  was  also  suffering, 
was  taken  with  him  to  the  temporary  hospital.  Thus  the  poor 
man  lay  in  agony  on  the  next  bed  to  his  child  and  died.  The 
wife,  hearing  that  he  was  in  the  infirmary,  but  not  knowing  that 
he  was  dead,  resolved  to  come  out  of  the  workhouse,  though  still 
weak  after  her  confinement,  in  which  she  had  lost  her  baby.  No 
inducements  would  prevail  to  keep  her,  though  it  was  naturally 
feared  that  in  her  state  of  health  the  return  to  an  infected  house 
would  be  dangerous  to  herself,  and  it  was  desired  to  take  her 
children  out  of  it  into  the  workhouse.  While  the  medical  man 
was  drawing  up  a  certificate,  which  might  have  the  effect  of  retain- 
ing her,  she  made  her  escape,  and  was  soon  home,  surrounded 
by  her  children  and  a  large  assembly  of  neighbours.  The  only 
resource  was  to  induce  her  to  leave  this  house  for  another,  which, 
after  an  interval  of  two  or  three  days,  was  done ;  and  though  two 
more  of  her  children  were  taken  ill,  with  a  girl  who  was  helping 
to  wash  for  her,  yet  they  eventually  recovered,  and  the  rest 
escaped. 

The  disease,  however,  had  laid  hold  upon  the  court.  Another 
man,  a  strong  hearty  fellow,  died ;  two  of  his  sons  were  taken  ill, 
one  very  seriously,  and  his  daughter  was  attacked  so  violently  that 


220 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


it  was  necessary  to  remove  her  to  the  cholera  ward.  A  young 
man  next  door  followed,  and  while  he  was  being  got  ready  his 
wife  felt  so  ill  that,  rather  than  leave  her  husband,  she  determined 
to  go  also,  and  both  lay  for  a  long  time  dangerously  ill,  the 
husband,  indeed,  at  death's  door.  These,  however,  recovered, 
and  were  afterwards  sent  down  to  Seaford,  where  they  regained 
their  health,  and  returned  to  their  homes  and  work.  Others  were 
dangerously  ill  in  the  same  court ;  one  an  unbaptized  man,  who 
professed  infidel  opinions  even  on  his  death-bed,  though  after- 
wards, through  argument  and  prayer,  he  appeared  to  give  them 
up;  yet,  like  so  many  sick-bed  impressions,  his  better  feehngs 
seem  to  have  passed  away,  and  he  has  returned  to  drunken  habits. 

Among  the  many  sad  scenes  of  this  time,  one  of  the  saddest 
was  that  of  a  poor  woman  whose  child  was  just  taken  ill,  and  laid 
on  a  little  bed  on  some  chairs  in  a  wretched  room  at  the  top  of 
the  house.  She  nursed  the  child  as  long  as  she  could,  and  then 
fell  ill  herself,  lying  in  the  agony  of  the  cramps  on  the  floor  with 
scarce  anything  to  cover  her,  entreating  the  nurse,  who  had  been 
sent  by  the  Sisters  for  the  child,  to  ease  her  pain  by  rubbing  her 
legs,  while  the  husband  in  his  affliction  was  pacing  up  and  down 
the  room,  or  getting  away  from  the  sad  scene  into  the  street,  until 
the  ambulance-bed  came  from  the  workhouse  to  remove  her  to 
the  cholera  ward,  where  she  died,  the  child  not  long  surviving. 

The  cholera  wards  of  which  we  have  spoken  were  the  casual 
wards  of  the  workhouse,  temporarily  adapted  by  the  guardians,  in 
obedience  to  the  Orders  in  Council,  for  cholera  patients.  They 
were  not,  indeed,  all  that  could  be  desired,  and  yet  the  best  pro- 
vision that  could  be  extemporized  under  the  circumstances.  There 
were  two  large  wards — one  for  men,  another  for  women — and  a 
smaller  one,  afterwards  used  for  convalescents.  Hither  the  sick 
were  brought  from  all  parts  of  the  parish  ;  all  who  could  not  be 
well  tended  at  home,  or  where  there  was  danger  in  close  houses 
and  large  families  of  the  disease  spreading,  were  received  at  once, 
day  and  night.  Happily  the  workhouse  authorities,  in  the  immi- 
nent urgency  of  the  circumstances,  having  had  sad  experience  of 


THE  SISTERS. 


221 


the  inefficiency  of  pauper  nurses,  themselves  applied  to  the  Sisters 
of  St.  John's  Home  for  Nursing  Sisters,  who  were  at  once  sent 
down,  and  devoted  themselves  most  lovingly  to  the  poor  sufferers 
enti-usted  to  them.  It  was  indeed  quite  touching  to  witness  the 
tenderness  and  yet  fearlessness  with  which  each  Sister  in  turn 
gave  herself  to  this  work.  One  Sister,  with  a  trained  nurse  and 
others  specially  employed  for  that  purpose,  was  always  in  the 
hospital,  taking  the  day  and  night  duty  by  turns. 

The  patients  were  no  sooner  brought  in  than  they  were  at 
once  attended  to,  their  beds  prepared,  and  all  that  loving  ministry 
could  do  was  certainly  done  for  them.  It  was  sad  to  see  how 
little  even  this  could  avail  for  their  recovery ;  medical  remedies, 
the  most  assiduous  nursing  and  care,  were  all  baffled  by  the  viru- 
lence of  the  disease ;  one  remedy  after  another,  one  system  of 
treatment  after  another,  one  theory  after  another,  was  tried,  but 
without  any  apparent  effect.  Still  the  Sister's  love  and  perse- 
verance never  failed  •.  and  though  there  were  days  and  nights  of 
most  trying  discouragement,  when  one  body  after  another  was 
carried  out  to  the  dead-house,  only  that  its  place  might  be  taken 
by  another  living  yet  already  doomed  sufferer ;  when  we  used  to 
look  round  in  the  morning  and  see  bed  after  bed  filled  with  fresh 
patients,  knowing  too  well  that  the  former  tenant  was  in  a  rough 
coffin, — though  the  Sister  who  was  throwing  herself  heart  and  soul 
into  this  work  of  mercy,  was  often  tempted  in  the  silence  and 
loneliness  of  her  night  watch  to  sit  down  and  cry  over  the  sad 
scene  which  lay  before  her,  yet  bravely  and  nobly  she  bore  up, 
and  never  left  her  post  as  long  as  her  presence  was  needed. 

There  was  something  very  touching,  too,  in  the  early  morning 
Communion  at  St.  Peter's — when  we  all  felt  our  great  need  of 
Divine  help,  the  clergy  for  their  spiritual  work,  the  Sisters  for  their 
bodily  and  yet  also  spiritual  ministries ;  when  our  own  Sisters 
were  preparing  for-  their  labours  in  the  district,  not  knowing  what 
the  day  would  bring  forth, — to  see  their  little  band  at  the  altar 
joined  by  the  Sister  of  St.  John's,  who  had  been  taking  lier  night 
duty  in  the  cholera  ward  close  by,  under  the  very  "shadow  of 


222 


CHARLES  LOIVDER. 


St.  Peter,"  her  very  dress  tainted  by  the  smell  of  the  disinfectant 
used  in  the  hospital, — bringing  their  sorrows,  and  the  sorrows  of 
their  suffering  charges,  to  lay  them  at  their  Saviour's  feet,  and  ask 
for  grace  and  mercy  for  themselves  and  them.  It  was  a  touching 
thought  to  feel  at  that  moment  how  safely  we  were  all  gathered 
together  under  those  loving  wings ;  how  mercifully  we  were  being 
fed  with  that  Bread  of  Life  which  could  best  sustain  us ;  how  the 
Precious  Blood  which  touched  our  lips  was  cleansing  us  and 
them,  and  the  Communion  which  was  knitting  us  together  in  the 
bundle  of  life  was  joinmg  us  closely  to  Him  Whom  we  could 
thus  recognize  as  walking  with  us  in  the  midst  of  this  fiery 
furnace,  so  that  not  even  the  smell  of  fire  passed  on  us,  not  one 
among  ourselves  was  touched  by  the  power  of  the  plague.  .  .  . 

In  the  morning,  when  the  clergy,  after  the  services  in  St. 
Peter's,  were  going  forth  to  their  daily  rounds,  while  some  would 
take  the  pressing  or  dangerous  cases  which  remained  from  the  day 
before,  another  would  find  out  from  the  relieving  officer's  list  at 
the  workhouse,  and  the  Sisters'  list  at  the  Mission  House,  the 
new  cases  which  needed  attention.  We  had  also  some  laymen 
engaged  in  a  house-to-house  visitation — one  with  a  special  view  to 
the  sanitary  state  of  the  houses,  that  deficient  drainage  or  water 
supply  upstairs  and  nuisances  might  be  reported  at  once  to  the 
parochial  officer ;  the  others  attending  chiefly  to  cases  of  urgent 
distress,  that  the  funds,  which  were  so  liberally  contributed  at 
this  time,  might  be  well  and  judiciously  dispensed.  But  with 
every  effort  to  organize  our  staff  and  systematize  our  work  (and 
certainly  most  thankful  we  have  been  that  this  heavy  visitation 
found  our  community  of  clergy  and  lay  helpers,  as  well  as  our 
Sisterhood,  thus  prepared),  it  was  difficult  to  cope  with  the  strain 
and  pressure  of  the  need.  The  suddenness  of  the  attack,  the 
awful  rapidity  with  which  it  spread,  and  the  speedy  issue  of  each 
seizure,  requiring  immediate  attention  both  for  spiritual  and  phy- 
sical relief,  continually  baffied  our  most  earnest  endeavours  to 
provide  it.  We  were  continually  impressed  with  the  great  truth 
that  all  was  in  God's  hands ;  that  we  were  but  instruments  to  be 


MINISTRATIONS  IN  SICKNESS. 


223 


used  as  He  might  choose ;  that  our  spiritual  ministrations  were  of 
no  avail  without  His  l^lessing.  It  seemed  as  if  all  had  to  be  done 
in  a  moment.  For  the  soul,  it  was  required  that  the  very  first 
moments  of  illness  should  be  seized  and  improved  in  fulfilling  the 
whole  work  of  the  priest — exhortation,  prayer,  self-examination, 
confession,  absolution,  comfort ;  preparation  for  the  last  struggle 
must  be  now  or  never ;  collapse  so  soon  followed  the  first  symp- 
toms that  there  was  not  a  moment  to  lose.  And  yet  for  the  body 
these  moments  were  also  most  precious.  Medical  attention,  the 
best  preventive  measures,  violent  friction,  hot  applications,  the 
most  careful  watching  and  nursing,  were  demanded  at  the  very 
moment  when  we  should  have  been  glad  to  have  kept  the  patient 
perfectly  quiet  for  the  preparation  of  his  soul  for  death.  Then, 
alas !  the  perpetual  vomiting  made  the  reception  of  the  Blessed 
Viaticum  in  the  great  majority  of  cases  physically  impossible,  so 
that  all  that  could  be  done  was  to  exhort  to  a  spiritual  Commu- 
nion, and,  most  frequently,  shortly  after  it  to  com.mend  the  soul 
into  the  hands  of  a  merciful  God  and  Saviour. 

By  the  end  of  August  the  plague  had  lessened.  One 
of  Mr.  Lowder's  sisters  had  come  to  stay  with  the  Sisters 
and  help  them.    She  wrote  on  August  1 8th  :— 

I  am  glad  to  say  the  cholera  seems  much  less  than  it  was. 
My  district  is  in  Wapplng.  I  carry  little  bottles  of  camphor  and 
give  them  where  they  are  wanted.  We  are  all  very  well  here,  and 
everybody  very  busy,  but  we  are  not  at  all  a  melancholy  party, 
everybody  in  very  good  spirits.  I  generally  see  Charles  some 
time  every  day,  and  he  is  quite  well.  Sister  Louisa  has  had,  and 
still  has,  a  great  many  cases  in  her  district;  she  visits  all  the 
morning,  and  sits  in  the  hall  in  the  afternoon  to  give  relief  to  all 
who  come,  several  dozen  of  small  bottles  of  camphor  before  her. 
The  bell  goes  incessantly,  and  some  one  sits  in  the  hall  all  day 
long  till  quite  late  in  the  evening.  They  give  good  dinners  away 
daily,  of  meat  and  rice,  to  those  who  are  half  starved  to  keep  oft 


224 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


the  cholera,  and  besides  this,  beef  tea,  wine,  and  all  sorts  of  things 
to  the  sick.  Boxes  of  clothes  are  coming  in  almost  every  day,  but 
the  demand  is  so  great  for  them  that  I  dare  say  they  \vill  soon  go. 
I  think  there  are  about  fifty  children  in  the  house  to  be  clothed. 
The  Bishop  of  London  is  going  to  preach  to-morrow  evening  at 
St.  Peter's,  and  many  of  those  who  have  recovered  are  going  to 
return  thanks  for  their  recovery. 

The  Bishop  had  kindly  written  to  Mr.  Lowder,  inquiring 
about  his  own  health  and  the  state  of  the  district ;  adding, 
"  You  will  not  fail  to  command  my  services  if  I  can  be  of 
any  use."  Mr.  Lowder  replied  that  a  visit  from  him  and 
a  sermon  in  the  church  which  stood  in  the  midst  of  the 
infected  district  would  be  most  useful.  The  Bishop  granted 
his  wish,  and  came  to-  St.  Peter's  with  Mrs.  Tait  on  Sunday, 
August  19th.  He  first  visited  the  workhouse  cholera  wards 
close  to  the  church,  speaking  a  few  kind  words  to  the 
patients,  praying  for  them  and  the  parish,  and  giving  them 
his  blessing ;  then,  after  a  visit  to  the  Wapping  Cholera 
Hospital,  and  the  Sisterhood  in  Calvert  Street,  he  went 
to  the  church,  where  a  congregation  of  nine  hundred  had 
assembled.  The  service  consisted  of  hymns  and  the 
Litany,  with  a  sermon  from  the  Bishop.  It  was  a  great 
gratification  to  Mr.  Lowder  that,  so  soon  after  the  con- 
secration of  St.  Peter's,  his  Bishop  should  come  into  the 
district,  and  prove  his  value  for  the  blessings  which  it 
brought  to  the  district. 

The  public,  too,  had  given  him  all  the  help  that  money 
could  give.  As  his  district  was  one  of  the  first  attacked, 
a  letter  written  by  him  in  the  Times  was  amongst  the  first 
which  appeared  asking  for  help,  and  within  a  week  ;^iooo 
had  been  sent  to  him.  Two  thousand  pounds  had  been  sent 


CONVALESCENT  HOME, 


225 


before  long,  so  that  the  clergy  and  Sisters  were  able  to  meet 
all  the  wants  which  pressed  upon  them.  Medicines,  nurses, 
food,  and  blankets  were  dispensed  largely  night  and  day ; 
families  weakened  by  insufficient  food,  and  others  specially 
open  to  attacks  of  the  disease,  were  fed  and  strengthened 
by  warm,  wholesome  dinners,  daily  sent  from  the  Sisters' 
kitchen ;  comforts  of  every  kind  were  supplied  to  the 
sick  and  dying,  and  yet  there  was  a  surplus  left  from  the 
generous  gifts  sent  to  St.  Peter's.  It  was  given  for  the 
support  of  a  Convalescent  Home,  which  Mr.  Lowder  had 
opened  at  Seaford  for  the  cholera  patients.  Of  this  Home 
he  wrote  at  the  time  : — • 

Two  well-situated  houses  were  found  at  Seaford,  in  Sussex, 
commanding  a  fine  view  of  the  sea,  and  open  to  the  fresh  air  and 
beautiful  neighbourhood  of  the  Downs.  The  houses  were  no 
sooner  secured  than  the  Mother  Superior,  with  one  of  the  Sisters, 
arranged  the  furniture ;  and  though  empty  on  the  Tuesday,  they 
were  ready  to  receive  the  guests  on  the  Friday  of  the  same  week. 
A.  party  of  nearly  thirty,  including  some  children  and  orphans, 
arrived  on  that  afternoon,  and  were  soon  tempted  out  on  tlie 
beach  and  cliffs.  The  thorough  enjoyment  of  those  who  had 
never  seen  the  sea  before,  at  their  release  from  their  close  and 
pestilential  homes,  and  the  happy  exchange  of  them  for  the  pure 
and  healthy  climate,  was  an  exhilarating  spectacle.  The  party 
consisted  of  a  coalheaver,  a  dustman  and  his  wife  and  child,  a 
labourer  in  a  bone  charcoal  manufactory,  a  boy  whose  young 
sister  died  and  who  himself  worked  at  a  soap  manufactory,  with 
other  men  and  women,  some  of  whom  had  been  amongst  our 
worst  cases,  but  by  God's  mercy  had  recovered.  All  settled  down 
in  their  places  ;  those  who  were  well  enough  assisted  in  the  work 
of  the  house  very  cheerfully,  and  soon  found  out  the  neighbouring 
attractions  by  sea  and  land. 

On  the  first  Sunday,  after  attending  the  early  celebration  of 

Q 


226 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


the  Holy  Eucharist  at  the  parish  church,  we  were  told  that  seme 
inhabitants  were  alarmed  at  the  idea  of  convalescents  from  cholera 
coming  to  church,  though  every  precaution  had  been  taken  to 
prevent  infection.  Every  one  had  a  bath  and  an  entire  change 
of  clothes  the  last  thing  before  leaving  London,  and  everything  in 
the  house  was  new,  so  there  was  no  ground  for  alarm,  though  it 
was  naturally  excited.  In  consequence  it  was  proposed,  being  a 
fine  morning,  to  have  an  open-air  service,  which  was  joyfully 
agreed  to ;  and  priest  and  congregation,  men,  women,  and  children, 
betook  themselves  to  a  lovely  spot  on  the  cliffs,  under  an  old 
Roman  encampment,  commanding  a  rare  view  of  the  sea  and 
coast  towards  Beachy  Head  on  one  side,  and  Brighton  on  the  other. 
Here  we  sang  Matins,  the  men  on  one  side,  and  the  women  and 
girls  on  the  other,  while  the  Gospel  of  the  day,  "  Consider  the 
lilies  of  the  field,"  naturally  furnished  a  most  appropriate  text.  It 
was  a  delightful  service,  to  which  even  that  noble  philanthropist, 
who  said  he  would  "rather  worship  with  Lydia  by  the  river  side 
than  in  the  rich  shrine  of  St.  Barnabas',"  could  hardly  have  ob- 
jected; and  yet  even  to  this  retired  spot  we  were  tracked  by  a 
jealous  Protestant  distributor  of  anti-ritual  and  anti-sacramental 
tracts. 

The  service  over,  our  party,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  of  the 
weaker  ones,  made  their  way  to  the  flagstaff,  whence  a  more 
extensive  view  was  obtained ;  and  then  all  returned  happily  to 
dinner.  In  the  evening  our  church  quarantine  was  taken  off;  and 
though  occasionally  a  few  expressions  of  fear  were  heard  in  the 
town,  yet  it  was  found  that  there  was  no  real  danger  to  be  appre- 
hended from  the  cholera  convalescents.  The  sea-air,  bathing,  walks, 
and  excursions  over  the  cliffs  and  into  the  neighbouring  country 
soon  made  a  wonderful  change  in  the  appearance  and  strength 
of  our  patients,  until  at  last  a  party  of  the  men  were  able  to 
accompUsh  a  walk  of  nine  miles  along  the  cliffs  from  Eastbourne, 
whither  they  had  been  taken  by  railway.  In  the  evening  they 
assembled  in  their  sitting-room,  and  related  their  several  adventures 
during  the  day,  read  or  listened  to  some  amusing  or  instructive 


THE  PEOPLE  CONQUERED. 


227 


reading  from  others,  and  joined  in  the  games  provided  for  the.m 
Before  supper  they  met  for  prayer  in  the  little  oratory,  when  a 
short  service  was  held,  with  a  few  words  of  instruction. 

The  greater  portion  of  the  first  party,  being  restored  to  health 
in  the  course  of  three  weeks  or  a  month,  returned  home,  and  was 
succeeded  by  a  fresh  detachment,  and  thus  we  were  enabled  to  ex- 
tend the  benefits  of  our  Home  to  seventy  or  eighty  convalescents. 

The  cholera  visitation  marked  an  important  era  in  the 
history  of  the  Mission.  For  it  broke  down  the  last  barriers 
remaining  between  "  Father  Lowder,"  as  he  was  henceforth 
universally  called,  and  the  confidence  of  his  people.  "  We 
had  never  any  trouble  after  the  cholera,"  was  said  to  the 
writer  by  one  of  the  Sisters  who  has  worked  at  St.  Peter's 
for  twenty-one  years.  Mr.  Linklater,  who  joined  the  Mis- 
sion in  1869,  gives  the  following  account  of  the  impression 
made : — 

It  would  require  a  whole  book  to  tell  all  the  brave  acts  of 
heroism  and  self-sacrifice  of  Mr.  Lowder  and  the  Sisters.  The 
poor  people  have  never  forgotten  the  lesson  they  learnt  during 
this  fearful  time.  Hearts  that  had  hardened  themselves  against 
the  Gospel  message  in  health  were  crushed  with  shame  and 
sorrow  when,  in  the  agonies  of  sickness,  they  experienced  the 
tenderness  and  love  of  true  Christian  charity.  The  dens  of 
poverty  and  vice  seemed  more  grim  and  ghastly  to  those  who 
witnessed  the  solemn  ministrations  of  grace  amidst  their  horrible 
surroundings.  Walls  that  had  for  years  resounded  with  the  blas- 
phemies of  seemingly  hopeless  reprobates  now  echoed  with  the 
sobs  and  prayers  of  hearts  touched  with  penitence.  Night  and 
day  the  clergy  and  Sisters  toiled  as  hearts  can  only  toil  that  toil 
for  the  love  of  God.  The  sights  and  smells  they  had  to  endure 
are  past  all  telling.  As  usual  the  public  were  most  generous,  and 
money  came  plentifully  in.  A  Convalescent  Home  for  the  patients 


228 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


was  opened  at  Seaford,  and  to  this  day  people  in  the  parish  talk  of 
the  kindness  they  there  experienced,  and  the  good  there  received. 
In  a  word,  such  a  bond  of  confidence  and  love  was  created  between 
Mr.  Lowder  and  his  people,  that  even  in  the  severe  strain  of  the 
secession  period  it  held  good,  and  against  all  the  false  accusations 
and  malicious  triumphs  of  the  enemy  they  stuck  true  to  the  man 
whose  truth  and  constancy  they  had  proved  in  their  great  hour  of 
need. 

It  was  a  time  which  also  did  much  to  break  down 
popular  and  official  prejudices  against  the  work  of  Sister- 
hoods in  the  English  Church.  Seven  communities  of 
Sisters  worked  in  the  East  of  London  during  the  preva- 
lence of  cholera,  in  hospitals  or  districts.  One  of  the 
doctors  at  the  London  Hospital  expressed  his  opinion 
"  that  the  presence  of  the  All  Saints'  Sisters  in  that  hospital 
was,  under  God,  the  means  of  allaying  a  panic  among  the 
nurses,  which,  if  not  checked  in  time,  might  have  dis- 
organized the  whole  discipline  of  the  hospital." 

Still,  however  ready  and  efficient  was  the  help  of  both 
Sisters  and  doctors,  it  was  to  "the  Father"  that  his  people 
turned  chiefly,  with  absolute  and  childlike  trust,  even  for 
their  bodily  needs.  He  was  frequently  first  sent  for ;  his 
influence  was  invoked  to  induce  the  sick  to  go  into  hospital, 
and  more  than  once  his  own  arms  carried  sick  children 
through  the  streets,  wrapped  in  a  blanket,  to  give  them  into 
the  Sisters'  charge  in  the  cholera  ward.  His  devotion  to 
them  was  never  forgotten  by  his  poor  stricken  flock ;  he 
had  won  "the  golden  tribute  of  a  people's  love,"  and  he 
kept  it  to  the  end. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


TRIALS  FROM  WITHIN. 
1S66-1869. 

"  God  doth  not  need 
Either  man's  work  or  His  own  gifts  ;  who  best 
Bear  His  mild  yoke,  they  serve  Him  best." 

After  the  strain  of  the  cholera  time  was  over,  Mr, 
Lowder  took  a  short  hoHday.  He  wrote  from  Ahie  on 
October  18,  1866 

I  have  been  moving  about  for  nearly  three  weeks,  not  quite 
idly.  I  came  up  from  Seaford  to  spend  Michaelmas  Day  in 
London,  and  left  this  afternoon  for  Sheffield,  where  I  preached 
twice  at  St.  Luke's  on  Sunday,  having  also  preached  at  another 
church,  St.  Jude's,  in  the  evening  of  Michaelmas  Day  I  made 
my  way  to  Lincoln  on  this  day,  where  I  was  delighted  with  the 
Cathedral.  Chancellor  Massingberd  kindly  entertained  me  at 
luncheon. 

He  attended  the  York  Congress,  and  assisted  at  1 
Mission  in  his  brother's  parish  at  Wolverhampton  before 
returning  home. 

The  year  1867  was  one  of  peace  and  comparative  rest, 
since  he  had  now  much  more  clerical  help.  Mr.  Akers  had 
joined  the  Mission  in  1865,  and  was  in  charge  at  Wellclose 


230 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


Square.  It  was  a  severe  winter,  and  on  January  2nd 
Mr.  Lowder  writes  from  Hendon  : — 

Here  I  am  so  snowed  in  that  I  could  not  get  off  to  marry  an 
unfortunate  couple,  who  chose  an  unfortunate  day.  This  morning, 
in  jumping  out  of  bed  in  the  dark,  I  came  with  my  bare  feet  into 
a  snowdrift  which  had  formed  under  the  door  to  about  five  inches, 
and  is  now  trying  to  form  again. 

At  Easter  he  wrote  to  his  mother  :~ 

INIany  thanks  for  your  letters.  I  have  been  so  engaged  lately 
that  I  have  had  no  time  for  answering.  I  was  sorry  not  to  write 
to  you  on  Mid-Lent  Sunday,  but  I  am  glad  you  liked  the  volumes 
of  Moultrie's  poems.  We  have  had  a  very  happy  Easter — far  more 
communicants  than  I  at  all  anticipated ;  i8o  at  St.  Peter's  at  the 
two  early  celebrations,  and  two  at  midday,  and  veiy  good  con- 
gregations. The  altar  was  beautiful — a  new  frontal  worked  by  the 
Sisters,  and  vestments  for  the  clergy  given  by  the  communicants. 
There  were  eighty  communicants  at  St.  Saviour's,  making  altogether 
260  against  160  last  year.  I  hope  my  father  is  better.  I  did  not 
like  his  feeble  writing  in  his  last  letter.  All  Easter  happiness  to 
you  all. 

Your  dutiful  and  affectionate  son, 

Chart.es. 

Father  Lowder's  annual  holiday  was  taken  this  year  in 
Scotland,  touring  amongst  the  lakes,  with  a  week's  quiet 
and  rest  at  Cumbrae  College,  a  visit  which  he  greatly 
enjoyed,  as  well  as  his  trip  afterwards  to  Stafi'a  and 
lona. 

He  returned  in  Septemiber  to  five  months  of  hopeful 
and  happy  work  ;  for  his  long-cherished  desire  of  forming  a 
separate  district  round  Wellclose  Square  seemed  near  its 


SECESSIONS  TO  ROME. 


231 


fulfilment.  Mr.  Akers,  the  curate  in  charge  of  the  dis- 
trict, possessed  good  means,  and  had  offered  a  contri- 
bution of  ;^4000  for  building  a  church.  If  a  site  could 
have  been  procured  earlier,  this  sum  would  have  been 
secured.  But  now,  in  February,  1868,  a  crushing  blow 
fell  upon  the  Mission  and  upon  its  devoted  chief  The 
details  will  be  best  told  in  the  narrative  supplied  by 
Mr.  Linklater  :— 

The  good  bark  of  St.  Peter's  had  been  duly  launched  on 
her  voyage,  with  many  prayers,  much  interest  of  kind  friends, 
and  careful  observation  of  the  outside  world  to  watch  her 
seaworthiness.  For  a  time  all  went  on  well.  Mr.  Lowder  was 
backed  up  by  a  staff  of  four  zealous  curates,  and  the  parish 
was  thoroughly  worked,  the  services  were  well  attended,  and  a 
great  many  parishioners  were  prepared  for  Confirmation  and  Holy 
Communion. 

Then,  at  the  very  height  of  prosperity,  came  a  blow  that  well- 
nigh  wrecked  the  ship.  Three  of  the  curates  deserted  and  joined 
the  Church  of  Rome.  The  secession  took  place  before  Easter, 
1868. 

I  have  before  me  an  account  of  this  unhappy  event,  written  by 
a  gentleman  who  was  living  with  the  curates  at  that  time  in  the 
Mission  House  at  Wellclose  Square. 

In  the  case  of  two  at  least  out  of  the  three,  a  mine  was  sprung 
upon  Mr.  Lowder  with  a  suddenness  which  in  ordinary  transac- 
tions between  man  and  man  could  not  be  too  strongly  condemned. 
One  (Mr.  Wyndham)  was  supposed  to  have  gone  to  Kensington 
to  visit  a  sick  relative ;  he  did  not  return  to  the  midday  dinner, 
and  in  the  afternoon  it  was  known  that  he  had  been  "received." 
Mr.  Akers  v.'as  absent  preacJiing  in  Kent.  On  liis  return  (Friday, 
February  15),  he  heard  of  the  step  taken  by  Mr.  Wyndham, 
resigned  his  curacy  the  same  evening,  and  was  received  into  the 


2j2 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


Koaiaii  Communion  on  the  following  Tuesday.  Mr.  Lowder  at 
once  sent  for  Mr.  Shapcote,  who  was  away  on  his  holiday,  to 
return  immediately  to  the  desolate  parish.  IMr.  Akers  went  down 
to  Worthing  to  meet  him  on  his  way  up  from  Plymouth,  and  they 
went  straight  to  Farm  Street,  where  Mr.  Shapcote  was  received 
into  the  Roman  Communion. 

All  this  happened  in  the  inside  of  a  week,  not  only  without 
any  notice,  but  soon  after  the  people  had  been  agreeably  sur- 
prised by  a  sermon  preached  in  the  church  in  Wellclose  Square, 
by  Mr.  Akers,  in  which  they  were  told  that  they  ought  to  be 
grateful  to  God  that  they  were  members  of  the  Church  of 
England,  and  could  read  theii  Bibles  without  fear  of  the 
Inquisition,  and  that  our  age  and  Church  contrasted  favourably 
with  that  of  the  Middle  Ages. 

The  blow  was  indeed  a  most  ten-ible  one  for  the  Mission.  It 
nearly  killed  Mr.  Lowder.  He  had  to  go  away  for  a  time,  and 
Father  Benson,  Superior  of  the  Cowley  Fathers,  with  Mr.  Statham, 
vTOrked  the  parish  for  him.  A  half,  and  the  most  important  half, 
of  the  St.  George's  Mission  district  was  lost ;  for  Mr.  Akers  had 
arranged  to  build  a  new  church  in  Wellclose  Square,  of  which  he 
was  to  have  been  the  Vicar,  and  now  it  passed  into  other  hands, 
and  the  people  were  shaken  in  their  confidence — not  that  any  of 
them,  or  very  few,  followed  the  seceders,  although  Mr.  Akers  came 
back  into  the  neighbourhood. 

But  it  will  be  said,  how  came  Mr.  Lowder  to  have  such 
curates  ?  To  answer  this  I  have  to  acknowledge  what  I  consider 
to  be  his  greatest  defect,  almost  his  only  one.  He  was  wanting 
in  the  power  of  discriminating  character.  He  was  so  trans- 
parently simple  and  true  himself  that  he  expected  to  find  others 
as  sincere  and  real. 

It  was  not  the  first  time  he  had  been  so  betrayed.  Ten  years 
before  a  similar  blow  had  fallen  on  the  Mission.  At  that  time  tlie 
party  in  the  Mission  House  in  Wellclose  Square  consisted  of  four 
persons,  two  priests  and  two  laymen,  of  whom  I  was  the  youngest. 
A  scare  took  place,  and  I  was  the  only  one  left. 


LETTER  FROM  MR.  BENNETT. 


Mr.  Lowder's  letter  to  "the  Friends  and  Subscribers  of  St. 
George's  Mission,"  dated  "All  Saints',  1868,"  has  the  most 
melancholy  ring  about  it.  He  never  cared  to  show  his  deepest 
feeling  either  in  speaking  or  writing,  and  consequently  to  those 
who  did  not  know  him  he  may  have  sometimes  appeared  stiff ;  but 
in  this  particular  letter,  in  which  he  speaks  of  his  broken  health 
(and  it  must  have  been  broken  to  make  him  say  so),  he  continually 
harps  upon  the  sad  blow  this  secession  was  to  the  work,  and  the 
disappointment  it  was  to  him  to  have  to  give  up  the  Wellclose 
Square  district. 

I  believe  he  never  forgot  it  to  his  dying  day,  and  that  it  was 
written  on  his  heart. 

There  are  no  letters  of  Mr.  Lowder's  about  this 
trouble.  He  seems  to  have  been  too  overwhelmed  to  be 
capable  of  writing.  Letters  of  sympathy  poured  in,  and, 
far  better,  offers  of  real  help,  as  the  following  letter  will 
show : — 

28,  Hans  Place,  February  21,  1868. 

My  DEAR  LOWDER, 

To  assure  you  of  my  sympathy  in  this  most  distressing 
trouble  which  it  has  pleased  God  to  send  upon  you  would  be 
nothing. 

I  want  to  know  if  I  can  be  of  any  service  to  you  in  act. 

I  must  go  back  to  Frome  to-night,  and  settle  matters  for  Ash 
Wednesday  and  Lent.  But  I  could  come  up  to  you  after  Wed- 
nesday. I  could  remain  with  you  and  assist  you  in  your  labours 
through  Lent — I  mean  reside  with  you  and  take  what  share  of  work 
you  could  allot  me. 

Perhaps  one  of  a  certain  age,  and  one  who  has  been  tried 
might  be  a  guarantee  to  the  people,  the  Bishop,  and  the  Church, 
that  we  are,  though  sorely  wounded,  yet  able  to  continue  on  our 
ground,  trusting  to  Him  Who  alone  can  give  us  deliverance. 


234 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


I  am  therefore  at  your  service  after  Ash  Wednesday,  and  may 
God  comfort  and  direct  you. 

Yours  affectionately  in  our  blessed  Lord, 
Wm.  J.  E.  Bennett. 

Mr.  Bennett's  generous  offer  was  accepted,  and  on 
February  29  he  went  to  Wellclose  Square,  working  at 
the  Mission  for  three  weeks  of  Lent.  But  Mr.  Lowder's 
health  was  so  much  shattered  by  the  grief  of  losing  those 
he  had  greatly  trusted,  that  he  was  obliged  to  go  away 
for  four  months  to  recruit  his  strength,  accompanied  by 
one  of  his  sisters. 

They  went  by  Antwerp  and  Cologne  to  his  old  quarters 
at  Seelisberg,  and  after  a  time  over  the  Spliigen  to  Bellagio 
and  Chiavenna,  returning  by  St.  Moritz  and  Meran.  His 
sister  wrote  on  June  i6th  : — 

Charles  feels  the  heat  very  much,  and  it  makes  him  weak. 
He  is  better,  I  hope,  but  his  digestion  is  far  from  strong,  and  he 
is  very  careful  of  what  he  eats.  We  had  some  nice  fresh  trout 
for  dinner  yesterday,  which  he  enjoyed,  and  it  was  a  change. 

This  is  the  first  notice  of  that  kind  of  suffering  which 
for  the  rest  of  his  life  was  to  be  a  continual  trouble  and 
drawback  to  his  power  of  working.  He  had  overtaxed 
even  his  strength  by  carelessness  as  to  food,  as  may  easily 
be  imagined  from  the  following  account  by  Mr.  Linklater 
of  the  Mission  House  commissariat : — 

In  the  days  when  I  first  knew  St.  Peter's,  the  Clergy  House 
dinners  were  proverbial.  Mr.  Lowder  literally  never  noticed  what 
he  ate.  His  whole  life  had  been  one  of  the  most  ascetic  self-denial ; 
in  consequence  at  last  he  utterly  ruined  his  excellent  digestion. 
To  us  poor  weaker  ones,  certain  dinners  meant  sick  headaches 


M/SS/OJ\r  HOUSE  COMMISSARIAT. 


and  agonies  untold.  Any  one  was  good  enough  to  be  our  cook ; 
and — I  shudder  as  I  think  of  all  we  suffered  in  this  respect.  On 
one  occasion  I  sent  down  my  cup  of  cocoa  to  the  cook  with  my 
compliments,  and  the  remark  that  cockroaches  were  not  the 
necessary  ingi-edients  of  cocoa.  The  good  woman  thought  I  was 
very  dainty,  and  I  believe  said  as  much,  but  took  occasion  to  search 
the  boiler,  from  which,  and  not  from  the  kettle,  she  had  drawn  the 
water,  and  recovered  more  than  one  hundred  specimens  of  the 
Blatta  orientalis  / 

We  managed  our  domestic  arrangements  at  the  Clergy  House 
on  the  club-house  principle,  dividing  the  total  cost  each  month 
and  paying  each  our  several  share.  Sometimes  Mr.  Lowder  was 
caterer,  and  sometimes  one  of  the  curates.  He  would  treat  us  to 
poultry  on  great  occasions,  and  I  am  afraid  he  must  have  been 
well  known  in  Leadenhall  Market  amongst  those  dealers  in 
antiquities,  for  he  always  brought  back  the  toughest  and  most 
ancient  hen  he  could  pick  out.  But  it  never  ruffled  his  temper, 
and  he  would  go  to  the  same  stall,  time  after  time,  with  the  most 
forgiving  trust  and  simplicity.  I  am  not  sure  that  he  ever  noticed 
it,  and  I  am  quite  sure  we  dared  not  call  his  attention  to  it. 

On  one  occasion  I  had  charge  of  the  home  department,  and  as 
I  had  just  returned  from  a  delightful  holiday  with  some  friends  in 
Normandy,  entirely  set  up  in  health,  I  proposed  to  my  assenting 
brother  curates  to  introduce  the  French  mode  of  living,  which  had 
been  such  a  sovereign  cure  to  me.  So  that  instead  of  dinner  at 
one  and  tea  at  five,  we  had  dejeuner  at  one  and  diner  at  five. 
]\Ir.  Lowder  returned  some  days  after  the  new  order  of  things  had 
been  inaugurated,  and  was  therefore  unconscious  of  the  change. 
It  was  near  his  tea  time,  which  was  our  dinner.  He  evidently  had 
a  good  appetite,  and  was  looking  forward  to  his  cup  of  tea.  We 
stole  furtive  glances  at  him  when  instead  of  the  teapot  came  in 
the  soup  tureen.  He  said  nothing,  but  helped  us,  expecting  that 
the  nexi  arrival  would  be  the  teapot,  etc.  ;  but  no,  the  roti  came 
next.  Then  the  threatening  storm  burst  upon  us;  the  ministry 
was  dissolved,  I  was  degraded  from  my  place  in  the  home 


236 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


department,  and  we  went  back  to  the  old  conservative  state  of 
meals  and  hours. 

And,  Avriting  this,  I  see  more  clearly  than  ever  before  how  much 
of  the  comforts  of  life  Mr.  Lowder  gave  up  for  the  sake  of  work 
— if  it  be  not  absurd  to  speak  of  comforts  in  connection  with  one 
who  lived  in  such  a  place,  and  who  never  indulged  himself,  but 
endured  hardness  as  a  good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ.  It  was  a 
necessity  that  he  should  have  a  quiet  home  to  rest  in  after  the 
fatigues  of  work,  and  yet  he  gave  up  his  Vicarage  to  a  pack  of 
curates,  and  allowed  the  place  to  be  overrun  by  the  lads  and  men 
who  came  to  our  Confirmation  or  communicants'  classes.  At  one 
time  even  the  choir  used  to  practise  in  the  dining-room.  Ah  well ! 
in  ccelo  quies. 

I  am  sure,  now,  that  he  suffered  greatly  from  all  this,  and  yet 
he  bore  it  all  without  a  murmur  of  complaint. 

He  writes  to  his  mother  from  St.  Moritz  in  July  :— 

I  think  I  am  getting  on.  The  worst  is  I  cannot  walk  much. 
I  am  hoping,  however,  to  get  a  horse.  The  advantage  of  the 
place  is  that  there  are  so  many  easy  walks  and  places  within  easy 
distance  to  which  you  can  drive,  Samaden,  Pontresina,  Silva 
Plana,  etc. 

August  7. 

I  think  of  leaving  this  and  starting  for  the  Finstermiinz,  where 
I  hope  I  may  meet  the  Mother  Superior  and  Miss  Oldham ;  if  so, 
I  may  go  with  them  a  little  way  towards  Meran,  and  then  branch 
off  to  the  Stelvio.  I  want  to  hear  how  things  are  going  on  at 
home,  and  if  satisfied,  I  may  get  on  to  Salzburg  and  Styria.  .  .  . 
I  think  the  air  and  waters  here  have  done  me  good,  and  it  has 
been  a  great  thing  to  escape  hitherto  the  heat  which  has  been  so 
intense  everywhere.  .  .  . 

Meran,  August  19. 

Yesterday,  Tuesday,  I  started  with  two  Englishmen  from 
Bonnio  to  walk  over  the  whole  of  the  Stelvio  Pass.    It  is  a  very 


OPEN-AIR  PREACHING. 


grand  undertaking,  the  highest  carriage  pass  in  Europe.  .  .  .  We 
unfortunately  had  a  bad  day  for  the  view,  and  so  did  not  see 
the  Oetler  and  its  glaciers  well,  though  what  we  saw  was  extremely 
grand.  ...  I  hope  to  be  at  Ischl,  Austria,  about  the  26th,  and 
to  meet  the  Mother  Superior.  I  am  anxious  to  see  her  because 
I  now  feel  nearly  well  enough  to  come  home,  and  unless  she 
strongly  advises  me  not  to  do  so,  I  think  of  bending  my  steps 
homewards.  However,  I  should  feel  more  satisfied  in  trusting  to 
some  judgment  besides  my  own. 

Your  very  affectionate  brother, 

Charles. 

He  returned  to  his  work  on  October  17,  "after  a  four 
months'  absence,"  his  sister  wrote,  "  looking  better  than  we 
have  seen  him  for  years." 

Out-of-door  preaching  had  always  been  used  as  a 
Mission  agency  by  Father  Lowder,  especially  if  any  fatal 
accident  happened,  when  handbills  were  quickly  printed 
and  dispersed,  announcing  a  sermon  in  the  open  air.  On 
one  occasion  two  men  were  killed  in  a  sewer  near  Calvert 
Street  by  foul  air.  On  the  Sunday  after,  notice  having 
been  given  of  a  sermon,  a  large  number  of  people  was 
collected.  The  congregation  was  too  large  for  the  spot 
itself  where  the  accident  took  place ;  and  so,  after  singing 
some  hymns  through  the  streets,  the  Dies  L-ce,  and  a 
portion  of  the  Litany,  the  sermon  was  preached  just  out- 
side the  Mission  chapel,  and  a  number  followed  into  the 
chapel  afterwards  and  joined  in  prayer. 

Sermons  in  the  open  air  had  often  been  given  on  Good 
Friday,  and  in  1869  the  first  "Way  of  the  Cross"  was 
sung  and  preached  through  the  streets  in  St.  Peter's  parish. 
A  full  account  of  it  was  published  in  the  Times,  "  with  a 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


leading  article  commenting  on  the  folly  of  such  an  at- 
tempt, and  conjecturing  that  the  author  of  it  must  have 
been  driven  to  despair  by  not  being  able  to  induce  his 
parishioners  to  enter  the  church." 

The  following  account  of  the  scene  and  of  the  service 
appeared  in  the  Guardian:-^ 

Shortly  after  the  conclusion  of  the  Three  Hours,  the  writer 
turned  his  steps  towards  the  east  end  of  the  town,  where  the 
stations  of  the  Cross  were  to  be  preached  by  Mr.  Lewder, 
of  St.  Peter's,  London  Docks.  Leaving  behind  the  Tower  of 
London,  standing  out  against  the  dull  grey  sky,  with  its  memories 
of  past  days,  when  its  now  quiet  courtyard  was  full  of  life 
and  bustle,  we  passed  on  through  the  narrow  streets  leading 
to  the  Docks,  amid  many  a  strange  sight  of  half-clad  women 
and  rough  seamen,  an  occasional  swarthy  negro  looking  up  from 
the  sunken  doorway  of  one  of  the  low  and  ill-kept  boarding- 
houses  with  which  the  place  abounds.  Reaching  the  Dock  wall, 
and  passing  over  one  of  its  bridges,  we  turned  down  Old  Gravel 
Lane ;  and  here  a  new  and  unwonted  stir  was  visible  among  the 
people,  caused,  as  it  proved,  by  the  starting  of  the  procession 
from  the  church.  Headed  by  a  stalwart  cross-bearer,  came 
forth  the  choir  of  St.  Peter's  in  their  cassocks,  followed  by  the 
clergy  in  cassocks,  cloaks  and  birettas,  singing  Faber's  hymn, 
"  O  come  and  mourn  with  me,"  and  followed  by  a  company 
consisting  partly  of  clergymen  and  friends  from  a  distance,  and 
partly  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  district.  On  reaching  Worcester 
Street  the  Vicar  removed  his  cloak  and  biretta,  and  standing  on 
a  chair  proceeded  to  address  the  people  on  the  first  station,  the 
choir  first  singing  the  words,  "  Is  it  nothing  to  you,  all  ye  that 
pass  by?"  which  were  repeated  at  each  station.  In  touching 
words  did  the  preacher  tell  his  hearers  of  the  causes  that  had 
brought  that  dear  Child  of  Bethlehem,  that  dear  Son  on  whom 
the  Spirit  of  God  had  descended  like  a  dove,  as  a  prisoner  before 


IFAY  OF  THE  CROSS. 


239 


the  judgment  seat ;  and  earnestly  did  he  remind  them  of  their 
need  of  prepai-ation  for  His  second  coming.  "Then,"  he  said, 
"  we  shall  be  condemned  unless  we  now  judge  ourselves,  and  lay 
our  sins  in  true  confession  before  Him.  Oh,  come  then  to-day 
and  make  your  peace,  or  at  least  resolve  that  you  will  never  more 
say  the  unclean  word  or  do  the  unclean  deed  which  keeps 
you  from  Him."  Another  hymn,  "Jesus,  Refuge  of  the  weary," 
was  then  sung  until  the  procession  reached  the  school-house, 
where  the  second  station,  "  Jesus  receiving  the  Cross,"  was  kept. 
Telling  them  of  what  the  reception  of  that  Cross  involved,  the 
preacher  pointed  to  the  causes  why  the  Saviour  not  only  received 
it,  but  received  it  willingly,  and  showed  how  in  their  daily  lives,  in 
their  afflictions  at  home  and  among  their  friends,  and  in  their  own 
hearts,  they  were  to  follow  in  His  steps.  Speaking  of  the  power 
of  the  Cross,  he  pointed  with  striking  effect  to  the  figure  of  the 
Good  Shepherd  in  a  niche  over  the  schools,  and  begged  his 
hearers  never  to  pass  it  without  looking  up  and  remembering  that 
the  Cross  of  Christ  is  the  true  Shepherd's  crook,  which  leads  and 
guides  us  from  earth  to  heaven.  Then  the  procession  advanced 
again,  gathering  strength  as  it  went,  young  and  old  alike  falling  in, 
and  striving  with  evident  anxiety  to  walk  near  the  "Father"  and 
the  "  brothers,"  as  we  heard  an  old  man  affectionately  describe 
the  clergy.  And  as  they  sang  the  hymns,  all  lifting  their  hats  at 
the  oft-repeated  mention  of  the  Holy  Name,  the  scene  became 
more  intensely  striking.  The  windows  of  the  houses,  many  of 
which  were  garnished  with  the  plants  whose  growth  has  been 
encouraged  by  prizes  at  the  flower  shows,  forming  one  of  the 
numerous  social  agencies  of  the  Mission,  were  filled  with  people, 
while  some  were  to  be  seen  on  the  roofs  endeavouring  to  gain  a 
good  view  of  the  strange  sight.  The  next  halt  was  near  the  Dock 
gate,  where  a  fine  merchantman,  with  flag  flying  at  her  masthead, 
was  lying  to,  thus  forming  an  effective  background  to  the  picture. 
On  the  third  station,  "Jesus  falls  beneath  the  weight  of  His 
Cross,"  the  preacher  showed  that  it  was  as  God  made  man  that 
the  Saviour  thus  fell,  in  order  to  tell  poor  suffering  men  and 


240 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


women  that  He  knows  how  to  feel  for  them.  An  earnest  exhor- 
tation never  to  omit  morning  or  evening  prayer  followed.  At 
five  o'clock,  opposite  the  church  of  St.  John  of  Wapping,  the 
fourth  station,  "  Simon  of  Cyrene  compelled  to  bear  the  Cross," 
formed  the  subject  of  an  address  on  the  marvellous  power  which 
a  voluntary  submission  to  the  Cross  exerts  over  our  lives.  The 
fifth  station  was  kept  in  Old  Gravel  Lane,  which  had  been  again 
reached  in  the  lengthened  circuit,  and  here  "  the  Women  of 
Jerusalem  mourning  for  Jesus  "  suggested  some  touching  remarks 
on  the  tender  kindness  of  the  Saviour,  as  He  bade  them  "  Weep 
not  for  Me."  A  few  words  on  the  right  use  of  Good  Friday  were 
connected  with  an  invitation  to  join  in  the  service  shortly  to  be 
held  in  the  church,  which  has  always  been  found  an  important 
means  of  deepening  the  effect  of  this  open-air  preaching.  And 
now  the  rain  began  to  fall,  the  bitterly  cold  east  wind  blowing 
harder  up  the  narrow  street,  but  apparently  having  little  power 
over  the  preacher,  who  still  stood  bravely  bareheaded  on  his  stool. 
A  more  suitable  spot,  a  square  plot  of  vacant  ground  called  the 
Ruins,  was  chosen  for  the  sixth  station,  "Jesus  stripped  of  His 
Garments,"  conveying  lessons  which,  it  need  scarcely  be  said,  were 
peculiarly  applicable  in  such  a  district,  where  many  a  half-dressed 
woman  and  child  was  listening  intently.  "There  will  be  no 
clothes  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven,"  said  Mr.  Lowder,  who,  like  a 
second  Wesley,  appealed  to  his  hearers  to  dress  the  soul  rather 
than  the  body,  and  never  to  be  absent  from  church  because  of 
shabby  clothes.  The  seventh  station,  "  Jesus  nailed  to  the  Cross," 
led  to  a  pointed  warning  to  those  who  hit  the  angry  blow  or  say 
the  angry  word,  to  remember  that  they  were  hurting  their  Saviour 
by  every  such  act.  The  next  station  was  kept  in  that  portion  of 
the  parish  which  has  been  the  scene  of  the  loving  labours  of  the 
Rev.  R.  Linklater,  and  here  consequently  many  additions  were 
made  to  the  already  vast  procession.  The  eighth  station,  at 
Wapping  Wall,  "  Jesus  dies  on  the  Cross,"  was  the  subject  of  an 
eloquent  address  on  the  loving  and  forgiving  spirit  of  the  Saviour. 
At  the  ninth  station.  "Jesus  taken  down  from  the  Cross,"  the 


CIIURCIf  ASSOCIATIO.V. 


241 


preaclier  drew  a  graphic  picture  of  the  sorrowing  mother  receiving 
the  Body  of  her  Son,  and  pleaded  with  the  people  to  emulate  her 
love.  The  long  stage  before  the  last  station  was  occupied  by  tlie 
singing  of  three  hymns,  "  Soul  of  Jesus,"  "  Rock  of  Ages,"  and 
"  O  Paradise,"  the  last  of  which  is  so  well  known  to  all  in 
St.  Peter's  parish,  that  it  was  heartily  taken  up  even  by  the  poor 
little  ones,  who  literally  swarmed  round  the  procession.  After  a 
most  impassioned  address  on  the  tenth  station,  "  Jesus  laid  in  the 
Grave,"  exhorting  all  to  prepare  their  hearts  to  receive  Him  in  His 
risen  glory  on  Easter  Day,  the  Vicar  concluded  by  inviting  his 
hearers  to  church,  and  by  wishing  all  "a  happy  Easter."  Many 
of  the  poor  people  entered  the  church  for  Evensong,  and  listened 
attentively  to  Mr.  Linklater's  sermon,  which  is  always  looked  for 
as  Good  Friday  comes  round  at  St.  Peter's.  The  service  of 
Tenebrce  followed  immediately  after  Evensong. 

The  Church  Association  tried  in  vain  for  eight  months 
during  this  year  to  discover  and  utilize  an  "  aggrieved 
parishioner."  Possibly  the  insurmountable  difficulty  of  the 
attempt  may  have  been  enhanced  by  the  dangers  to  which 
the  aggrieved  one  would  have  been  exposed.  It  would  not 
have  been  an  enviable  office  amongst  people  who  plainly  said 
that  any  folk  who  came  down  there  to  worry  "  the  Father  " 
would  be  thrown  into  the  river  by  the  men,  and  have  their 
eyes  scratched  out  by  the  women.  "  Let  them  come  on, 
we're  ready  for  them,"  a  sturdy  farrier  was  heard  to  say, 
baring  a  formidable  arm.  "  I  took  my  pattens  to  church," 
an  old  woman  said  to  the  Sisters,  "and  kept  them  in  my 
•lap,  ready  to  heave  at  them,  if  they  came  near  him." 

Mr.  Linklater  gives  the  following  account  of  the 
matter : — 

Many  an  attempt  was  made  by  the  Church  Association  to 
attack  such  an  important  stronghold,  but  with  no  success.  Their 

R 


242 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


agents  had  been  down  frequently  to  stir  up  strife  and  try  to  get 
some  of  the  parishioners  to  lend  their  names  to  the  proceedings 
against  Mr.  Lowder.  But  for  a  long  time  it  seemed  hopeless.  It 
was  commonly  said  in  the  parish  that  money  was  offered  for  the 
accommodation.  At  last  three  persons,  none  of  whom  ever  at- 
tended the  church,  and  two  of  whom  were  Dissenters,  one  being  a 
preacher  in  the  next  parish,  were  pressed  into  the  service.  Mr.  ; 
Lowder  told  me,  shortly  before  his  death,  with  the  most  charming 
glee,  that  he  had  made  friends  with  the  two  persons  who  were 
most  bitter  enemies  in  this  matter. 

Bishop  Jackson  came  to  the  see  of  London  in  1869,  and 
one  of  the  first  communications  of  the  kind  which  he  made 
to  his  clergy  was  received  by  Mr.  Lowder  (February  9),  on 
the  subject  of  the  decision  of  the  Committee  of  Privy  Council 
in  the  case  of  Mr.  Mackonochie.  "  I  infer,"  wrote  the 
Bishop,  "  from  the  newspapers,  which  however  may  be 
mistaken,  that  you  feel  conscientious  difficulties  in  com- 
plying with  it."  He  invited  him  to  an  interview,  and 
expressed  his  own  great  repugnance  to  dealing  in  such 
matters  with  his  clergy,  especially  those  whose  worth  and 
earnestness  he  had  learnt  to  respect,  merely  as  their 
ordinary,  and  not  rather  as  their  fellow  labourer,  and,  if 
they  would  allow  him,  their  adviser.  Ten  days  later,  how- 
ever, Mr.  Lowder  received  a  formal  copy  of  the  monition 
served  on  Mr.  Mackonochie,  with  a  kind  expression  of  the 
Bishop's  appreciation  of  the  difficulties  which  had  withheld 
him  hitherto  from  acting  in  accordance  with  it,  but  with  an 
express  "  request,  as  ordinary,  that  henceforth  the  services 
of  his  church  shall  be  conducted  in  accordance  with  the 
ruling  of  the  court." 

On  July  6,  1869,  Bishop  Jackson  wrote  to  Mr.  Lowder : 


AN  AGGRIEVED  PARISHIONER, 


243 


"At  last  I  have  received  a  formal  complaint  from  a 
parishioner,  and  an  application  from  him  to  institute  legal 
proceedings."  He  expressed  his  willingness  to  issue  a 
monition  if  he  could  receive  the  least  hope  of  its  being 
complied  with.  "But  if  not,"  the  Bishop  continued,  "it 
would  be  only  adding  needlessly  to  the  expense  ;  and  it  will 
be  better  to  proceed  at  once.under  the  Clergy  Discipline  Act." 

It  was  soon  made  plain  to  the  Bishop  that'  this 
"parishioner"  had  no  locus  standi  to  enable  him  justly  to 
make  complaints.  And  no  fresh  "  presentment  "  seems  to 
have  been  found  possible  till  January  8,  1878,  when  the 
Bishop  announces  one,  at  the  instance  of  "three  parishioners," 
accompanied  by  testimonials  as  to  their  character.  He 
explains  that,  on  this  occasion,  in  1869,  the  petition  is  not 
as  on  the  last  for  the  commencement  of  legal  proceedings, 
but  for  the  exercise  of  his  own  "  episcopal  and  fatherly 
influence." 

Mr.  Lowder  was  accordingly  invited  to  a  conference  at 
London  House ;  but  being  at  the  time  abroad  and  very 
much  out  of  health,  the  consideration  of  the  case  was  post- 
poned. He  wrote  to  consult  Mr.  Prideaux,  and  received  the 
following  answer : — 

4,  Brick  Court,  Temple,  July  10,  1869. 

Rev.  and  dear  Sir, 

I  am  very  sorry  to  find  that  you  have  been  singled  out  as 
one  of  the  victims  of  the  Puritan  prosecutions.  I  think  the  fact  that 
the  complainant  is  a  non-communicating  schismatic  would  justify  the 
Bishop  in  refusing  to  allow  him  to  promote  his  office.  But  if  the 
Bishop  thinks  fit  to  allow  him  to  do  so,  I  am  afraid  it  could  not  be 
successfully  contended  that  he  has  not  legal  standing. 

Yours  very  truly, 

C.  G.  Prideaux. 


244 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


The  result  may  be  told  in  Mr.  Linklater's  words. 

Two  spies  of  the  Church  Association  appeared  one  day  in  the 
front  seats  and  began  taking  notes,  and  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  our 
churchwarden,  who  is  a  most  respected  lighterman,  walked  up 
quietly  to  these  gentlemen  and  whispered,  "  If  you  go  on  with 
this  'ere,  there's  half  a  dozen  men  behind  you  will  crack  your 
heads."    The  note-books  were  put  up  at  once. 

It  was  most  wong  of  him,  and  I  told  him  so  afterwards.  But 
you  cannot  get  these  working-men  to  be  as  gentle  as  lambs  all  in 
a  minute. 

I  could  not  have  believed,  if  I  had  not  myself  been  in  the 
thick  of  it,  the  extraordinary  interest  the  working-men  took  in  the 
Hatcham  riots — the  intense  sympathy  they  had  for  Mr.  Tooth. 
To  be  sure,  they  were  on  the  spot  and  knew  the  whole  history  of 
the  agitation,  that  the  Deptford  roughs  were  regularly  hired  every 
Sunday  for  their  dirty  job.  Of  their  own  kind  thought,  and 
without  reward,  a  strong  band  used  to  go  every  Sunday  morning 
to  protect  Mr.  Tooth.  One  great  strong  giant  said,  "  Oh  dear  !  I 
hope  nobody  won't  strike  me,  for  I've  had  no  sleep  all  night,  and 
I'm  afraid  I'd  hurt  him."  But  they  behaved  splendidly,  with 
firmness  and  self-control. 

A  visit  from  the  Deptford  mob  to  St.  Peter's  had  been 
threatened,  to  avenge  the  protection  given  by  our  people  to 
Mr.  Tooth.  There  was  the  greatest  excitement  in  our  parish, 
and  each  Sunday  the  church  was  crammed  with  our  own  men, 
determined  to  protect  the  sanctity  of  the  house  of  God.  The 
rioters  never  dared  to  come. 

On  one  of  the  saints'  days  an  agitator  appeared  at  the 
children's  service,  and  when  it  was  over  he  shouted  out  in  church, 
"What  would  Ridley  think  of  this?"  The  children  were  inuch 
astonished,  and  did  not  understand  the  allusion,  so  after  church 
they  followed  the  gentleman  up  the  street,  singing,  "  I'm  old  Bob 
Ridley  O,"  the  only  Ridley  they  had  ever  heard  of.  He  never 
came  again. 


PROSECUTION  CRUSHED. 


245 


I  must  tell  just  one  story,  which  illustrates  Mr.  Lowder's 
temper  of  mind.  When  the  Bishop  of  London  wrote  to  him, 
summoning  him  to  appear  and  answer  the  charges  of  the  aggrieved, 
I  wrote  to  the  Bishop  telhng  him  that  Mr.  Lowder  was  in  Italy, 
unwell,  and  that  it  would  be  a  pity  to  disturb  his  holiday  for  the 
sake  of  such  a  trifling  matter.  The  Bishop  had  written  as  though 
our  parish  was  distracted  by  these  ritual  innovations.  I  begged 
to  assure  his  lordship  that  we  were  in  perfect  peace  and  un- 
animity, which  he  might  learn  from  the  fact  that  the  Church 
Association  had  been  unable  to  get  another  aggrieved  parishioner 
in  the  place  of  the  one  who  for  a  time  had  withdrawn.  The 
Bishop  very  kindly  answered  that  the  matter  might  stand  over 
until  Mr.  Lowder's  return.  As  I  had  sent  on  to  Mr.  Lowder  the 
Bishop's  summons  the  day  I  had  received  it,  I  was  afraid  that 
he  would  start  on  his  return  home  before  a  letter  could  reach 
him,  and  so  I  determined  to  telegraph,  thinking  it  was  an  act  of 
charity  to  put  him  out  of  his  misery  as  soon  as  possible.  In  a 
few  days  Mr.  Lowder's  answer  came.  I  thought,  as  I  broke  the 
seal,  "Now  he  will  praise  my  management  of  the  affair,  and 
thank  me  for  my  telegram."  But,  on  the  contrary,  it  was  quite  a 
sharp  little  note,  saying,  "  Don't  do  that  again.  Your  telegram 
arrived  in  the  middle  of  the  night  and  disturbed  the  whole  house. 
A  letter  would  have  done  quite  well."  I  was  so  amused  at  his 
coolness,  and  a  little  bit  annoyed,  that  I  had  halt  a  mind  to  go 
on  telegraphing  in  the  same  way,  and  at  the  sam.e  hour,  every 
night  for  a  week. 

Nothing  came  of  the  prosecution  after  all;  it  was  transferred  to 
the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  as  the  Bishop  of  London  had  a 
remote  interest  in  St.  Peter's,  being  eventually  patron,  and  the 
Archbishop  had  the  courage  to  quash  it. 

The  dark  storm-clouds  of  the  Romanizing  troubles  cleared 
away ;  the  gale  had  spent  its  fury,  and  we  had  breathing  time  to 
clear  away  the  wreck  and  repair  the  damage.  I  say  "  we,"  for  it 
was  my  privilege  to  join  the  Mission  at  this  juncture,  in  1869. 
There  were  206  communicants  on  Easter  Day,  1869,  as  against 


246 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


180  in  1868.  In  1880  there  were  400  communicants  at  Easter, 
and  the  names  on  the  communicant  roll  numbered  500.  These 
were  all  won  by  tlie  hardest  labour  from  the  parish  and  congre- 
gation :  when  Mr.  Lowder  first  began  the  Mission,  there  were  not 
half  A  dozen  communicants  in  the  whole  parish  of  St.  Peter's. 
The  "Twelve  Days'  Mission"  of  1869  helped  onward  the  influence 
of  the  church. 

Up  to  this  time,  1869,  there  had  not  been  any  proper  school 
buildings  in  the  parish.  The  boys'  school  was  held  in  Mr.  John 
Knight's  schoolroom  in  Old  Gravel  Lane — a  convenient  locality, 
but  the  room  too  small  for  the  number  of  boys  we  had — and  the 
girls  were  taught  in  the  Iron  Mission  Room  in  Calvert  Street.  Mr. 
Lowder  had  constantly  asked  for  money  to  enable  him  to  build 
suitable  school  premises,  and  now  the  crisis  had  come.  Unless 
the  application  for  a  grant  were  made  to  the  Privy  Council  at  once 
(1870),  it  would  be  too  late.-  Spurred  on  by  the  emergency,  he 
made  a  vigorous  effort  to  collect  the  ;;^39oo  required  for  the 
buildings  and  fittings.  He  was  so  far  successful  that  in  1871  the 
foundation  stone  was  laid  by  Lord  Powis,  and  in  the  next  year 
large  and  convenient  premises,  capable  of  holding  six  hundred 
children,  were  opened  for  the  use  of  the  parish. 

These  are  dry  details,  which  will  be  hardly  interesting  to  the 
general  reader,  but  they  are  of  the  utmost  moment  to  the  people 
of  St  Peter's,  and  they  are  part  of  the  usefulness  of  Mr.  Lowder's 
work. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


ST.  AGATHA'S  MISSION. 
1869. 

"  Ragged  children  with  bare  feet, 
Whom  the  angels,  in  white  raiment, 
Know  the  names  of,  to  repeat, 
When  they  come  on  you  for  payment." 

In  the  summer  of  1869  Mr.  Lowder  returned  for  a  short 
time  to  the  Tyrol,  whither  his  heart  seemed  ahvays  drawn. 
From  Landeck  he  wrote  :  "  It  was  deh'ghtful  to  get  back 
into  the  mountain  air  of  the  Tyrol.  To-day  we  are  getting 
on  into  the  Oetzthal,  and  shall  probably  stay  a  little  among 
the  mountains  and  make  some  glacier  excursions,  and  so 
on  to  Innspruck."  Soon  after  he  made  with  much  enjoy- 
ment an  expedition  over  the  Hoch  Joch,  coming  down 
upon  a  place  called  Unsere  Liebe  Frau.  A  German  in- 
scription on  a  house  in  the  Oetzthal  took  his  fancy,  and  he 
translated  it  thus  : — 

"  The  angels  from  their  thrones  on  high 
Look  down  on  us  with  wondering  eye ; 
That  where  we  are  but  passing  guests 
We  build  such  strong  and  solid  nests : 


248 


CHARLES  LOV/DER. 


But  where  we  think  to  dwell  for  aye 
We  scarce  take  heed  a  stone  to  lay. "  * 

A  new  Mission  room  was  this  year  opened  in  the  Shad- 
well  part  of  the  parish,  through  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Linklater, 
who  began  the  work  when  chaplain  to  Mr.  Peter  Hoare,  at 
Beckenham.  The  night-school  for  men  and  lads  which  was 
carried  on  there  was  at  once  filled  by  about  a  hundred  of 
the  very  roughest  of  that  rough  district.  It  was  the  begin- 
ning of  "  St.  Agatha's  Mission,"  which  has  now  been  incor- 
porated with  the  parochial  work  of  St.  Peter's. 

Of  the  "Twelve  Days'  Mission"  in  Advent  Father 
Lowder  said,  "  It  bore  sensible  fruit,  though  from  the 
sim.ple  fact  that  Mission  work  had  been  so  long  carried  on 
in  the  district,  the  attempt  was  not  accompanied  with  the 
same  excitement  as  that  produced  by  its  novelty  in  other 
parishes." 

The  increasing  number  of  the  Sisters  obliged  them,  early 
in  1870,  to  form  a  mother  house  at  Walworth,  as  they  had 
failed  in  obtaining  a  site  for  building  in  St.  Peter's  parish. 
Three  Sisters  were  left  in  the  old  house  in  Calvert  Street 
to  work  in  the  district,  but  the  House  of  Mercy  at  Hendon 
was  given  up,  and  the  inmates  removed  to  Walworth.  One 
of  the  Sisters  says,  "  Father  Lowder  was  very  tender  and 
gentle  to  the  girls  at  the  House  of  Mercy  at  Hendon,  and 
when  that  was  given  up  he  felt  it  terribly." 

©it  Snjeln  in  ben  ■Simmetrcie^ 
ffievnjunicrn  ftc^)  at(e  ju  gteii^; 
JDag  toir  I;ier  bauen  .5iu«;r  fcfi 
Sn  tern  ftiir  fmb  mir  fcftntc  ®4jJ; 
Unb  too  toir  foUen  etoig  fein 
SPoct  6au(n  toic  gar  tpenig  biein, 


WANT  OF  FUNDS. 


249 


His  work  seems,  as  it  went  on,  to  have  become  more 
concentrated  and  entirely  parochial,  partly  from  the  want 
of  funds  to  enable  him  to  branch  out  in  other  directions. 
He  writes  at  this  time  of  being  "surrounded  by  an  amount 
of  destitution  and  sickness  with  which  it  seems  hopeless  to 
contend."  Begging  was  his  hardest  work.  On  this  subject 
Mr,  Linklater  writes  : — 

I  cannot  tell  how  greatly  crippled  and  disheartened  he  was 
at  the  difficulty,  the  impossibility,  of  getting  the  necessary  funds  to 
carry  on  the  schools  and  parish  work. 

It  was  quite  distressing  to  see  how  this  black  care  sat  upon 
him  and  crushed  his  spirits.  It  was  a  small  matter  that  some- 
times he  could  not  pay  the  curates,  but  it  became  a  very  painful 
difficulty  that  he  often  was  not  able  to  pay  even  the  school 
teachers. 

But  dark  periods  of  money  trouble  only  served  as  contrast  to 
the  light  which  sometimes  came.  For  instance,  one  year  Mr. 
Lowder  received  a  cheque  for  ;^5oo  from  a  clergj'man  at  Win- 
chester, to  enable  him  to  clear  off  the  liabilities  of  the  Mission. 
Yet  on  the  whole  his  life  was  saddened  by  the  increasing 
difficulty  in  raising  the  necessary  supplies,  and  this  when  money 
was  most  wanted,  and  when  all  the  agencies  he  had  so  painfully 
planted  were  beginning  to  bring  forth  abundant  fruit. 

At  one  time  he  felt  this  so  much  that  he  seriously  contemplated 
resigning  the  living.  It  Avas  only  at  the  urgent  remonstrance  of 
his  curates  that  he  yielded,  and  again  submitted  his  stout  shoulders 
and  brave  heart  to  the  continual  and  overwhelming  burden. 
And  yet,  with  all  these  money  troubles,  I  am  sure  that  his  heart 
rejoiced  at  the  wonderful  prosperity  of  the  work,  and  the  blessing 
of  God  as  manifested  in  the  changed  lives  of  the  people. 

It  is  a  great  comfort  to  think  that  before  he  was  taken  from  us, 
he  knew  that  the  ship  was  manned  with  a  crew  that  he  could 
trust,  and  who  could  trust  him. 


250 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


No  account  of  Father  Lowder's  work  would  be  com- 
plete without  the  story  of  St.  Agatha's  Mission.  But  here 
again  we  must  turn  to  ?.Ir.  Linklater,  its  founder,  for 
information,  and  let  him  tell,  in  his  own  words,  the  stoiy  of 
its  origin,  which  he  has  been  kind  enough  to  write  for  this 
memoir : — 

Some  eleven  or  twelve  years  ago  (in  1869),  I  was  an  idle 
man,  living  in  the  kindest  and  pleasantest  society,  my  only  duty 
being  to  say  the  Daily  Office  of  the  Church  in  the  loveliest  litde 
private  chapel  in  England,  and  having  no  cure  of  souls  except  the 
members  of  my  patron's  household  and  the  people  who  lived  at 
the  different  lodges  of  the  park.  Besides,  I  had  charge  of  some 
twelve  boys  who  formed  our  choir.  But  as  these  lived  in  a  sepa- 
rate Choir  Home,  under  the  care  of  a  schoolmaster  and  matron, 
the  duties  thus  imposed  on  me  were  of  the  lightest 

There  are  few  sweeter  spots  in  England  than  the  wild  romantic 
park  in  v,-hich  the  Chapel  of  Saint  Agatha  stands.  The  ever- 
changing  glory  of  the  woods  ]  the  weird  mysterious  silence  of  the 
lake,  the  then  tangled  wilderness  of  trees  and  underwood  aban- 
doned to  nature's  skill ;  and  the  deeply  touching  story  of  the 
stricken  life  that  sheltered  in  tliis  old-world  home — all  these,  and 
ten  thousand  other  charms  of  nature  and  of  life,  made  one's 
existence  an  unbroken  round  of  ease  and  pleasure. 

But  while  one  had  strength  and  the  heart  for  work,  and  with 
so  much  doing  and  still  to  be  done  for  God,  it  was  impossible  to 
live  such  an  easy  Ufe  within  sound  of  the  battle's  din,  and  almost 
within  hearing  of  the  roar  of  our  great  London. 

It  was  my  kind  patron  who  suggested  that  instead  of  resigning 
my  chaplaincy,  as  I  intended,  I  should  add  to  it  voluntary  ^Mission 
work  in  some  poor  East  End  parish. 

Alas  !  my  lips  are  closed  with  regard  to  these  kind  friends, 
whose  priest  and  Levite  for  many  years  I  was.  It  is  a  pit)%  for  it 
would  illustrate  the  wonderful  power  of  our  Church  of  England 
amidst  all  grades  and  classes  of  our  national  life ;  the  value  set 


.  ST.  AGATHA'S-IN-THE-COUNTRY,  25 1 

upon  her  ministrations  in  the  hour  of  need ;  the  penetrating  influ- 
ences of  the  rehgious  revival  in  our  land,  which  has  reached 
every  rank  and  age  and  disposition. 

One  little  picture  I  must  be  allowed  to  paint.  We  had  con- 
siderable difficulty  in  getting  permission  from  the  Rector  of  the 
parish  for  celebrations  of  the  Holy  Communion  in  the  chapel. 
The  parish  was  then  the  stronghold  of  the  strictest  Puritanism, 
and,  consistently  enough,  the  Rector  flatly  refused  to  grant  his 
licence  for  our  service.  In  our  strait  we  appealed  to  the  Arch- 
bishop, and  his  Grace  kindly  appointed  an  interview  to  hear  our 
stoiy.  My  patron  drove  up  to  Lambeth  by  himself;  I  had  to 
meet  him  there  with  his  son,  who  picked  me  up  in  town.  This 
son,  my  kindest  and  most  generous  friend,  had  two  great  passions 
— horses  and  the  Church ;  and,  to  use  a  Yankee  phrase,  he  ran 
them  both.  To  the  Puritans  of  our  locality  this  seemed  incon- 
gruous. Knowing,  as  I  knew,  that  he  had  the  kindest,  truest 
heart  that  ever  beat,  there  seemed  to  me  no  inconsistency  be- 
tween his  coachman's  coat  when  tooling  his  four-in-hand,  and  his 
surplice  when  singing  reverently  in  the  choir.  Both  were  true 
and  real.  Certainly  it  brought  to  one's  care  a  class  of  life  which 
has  been  greatly  neglected  by  the  ministrations  of  the  Church, 
grooms  and  stable-helpers,  and  which  consequently  is  not  much 
conversant  in  Church  affairs.  Thus  his  new  head  groom,  in  look- 
ing over  the  chapel,  which  was  then  not  finished,  noticed  the 
raised  dais  for  the  altar  before  the  altar  was  placed,  and,  saluting 
with  raised  finger,  inquired,  "  The  family  pew,  sir  ?  "  But  it  is  a 
great  thing  to  get  an  English  gentleman  of  these  tastes  to  take  a 
real  living  interest  in  the  services  of  the  Church,  and  to  have  his 
hearty  co-operation  in  all  efforts  to  help  and  encourage  his  servants 
to  do  their  duty  in  their  state  of  life. 

But  I  must  get  on  to  the  interview.  I  had  to  meet  my  friend 
at  Tattersall's,  and  I  noticed  that  he  had  not  changed  his  dress, 
for  he  still  donned  the  coachman's  coat.  I  thought  this  was 
hardly  the  costume  for  an  ecclesiastical  audience  in  an  Arch- 
bishop's palace,  but  it  wasn't  my  business  to  speak.    The  Arch- 


2 $2  CHARLES  LOWDER. 

bishop,  I  could  see,  was  much  impressed  with  his  visitors.  He 
kept  his  eyes  intently  fixed  on  the  handsome,  spiritualized,  sorrow- 
stricken  face  of  the  father.  He,  dear  old  man,  was  away  in  heart 
and  memory  to  the  days  when  he  was  a  boy  at  school,  for  he  had 
seen  in  the  ante-room  a  bureau  exactly  like  those  used  in  his  time 
at  Westminster.  However,  we  got  to  business.  The  son  did 
most  of  the  talking,  the  old  father's  face  lighting  up  with  love  and 
interest  as  he  began  to  speak.  The  Archbishop  summed  up,  "  I 
understand  that  you  want  my  licence  for  your  chapel."  Yes,  we 
assured  his  Grace.  "  With  the  consent  of  the  Rector  of  the 
parish,"  continued  the  Archbishop — at  this  our  hopes  fell — "  if  you 
can  get  it " — still  no  light — "  without  it  if  you  cannot."  "  Precisely 
so,  your  Grace,"  was  our  delighted  answer. 

And  now  in  that  parish,  where  alone,  for  three  years  and  more, 
we  upheld  the  standard  of  the  Church's  ritual  and  taught  the 
Church's  faith,  there  are  three  churches,  besides  the  chapel,  where 
there  is  a  daily  celebration  and  where  the  Eucharistic  vestments 
are  worn. 

Before  the  chapel  was  built,  my  patron  used  to  drive  up  each 
day  to  town,  twelve  miles,  starting  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
to  be  present  at  the  daily  celebration  in  a  City  church.  It  was 
the  only  comfort  of  his  life,  nay,  the  only  power  of  living,  in  his 
sorrow  and  bereavement,  thus  to  shelter  in  the  love  of  Jesus. 

At  first,  because  he  dressed  so  carelessly,  the  people  at  this 
church  took  him  for  a  pious  beggar,  and  the  verger  used  to  pass 
him  over  when  he  collected  the  alms.  But  the  Vicar  rebuked  the 
verger,  saying  that  even  poor  men  had  their  mite  to  give ;  so  the 
next  time  he  took  the  bag  to  our  friend,  and  seeing  him  put  in  a 
bit  of  paper  had  the  curiosity  to  look  at  it  before  presenting  the 
bag  to  the  priest.  It  was  a  bank  note  for  a  large  amount. 

These  were  the  friends  who  suggested  the  idea  of  St.  Agatha's 
Mission,  who  encouraged  me  and  helped  me  in  every  way  through 
the  work. 

And  also  many  of  the  residents,  who  gradually  found  their 
way  to  the  chapel  services  and  worshipped  at  its  altar,  gave  both 


ST.  AGATnA'S  MJSSION. 


253 


money  and  personal  aid  most  liberally.  Even  those  who  were  not 
able  to  sympathize  with  Catholic  teaching  and  ritual  felt  that  they 
could  cordially  co-operate  with  Mission  work  in  the  slums  of 
London.  Thus  did  not  only  our  chapel  services  become  more 
real  by  having  this  outcome  of  practical  charity,  but  also  the  faith 
itself  was  recommended  to  those  whose  hearts  were  at  first  shut 
against  it,  and  many  of  their  prejudices  in  time  were  swept 
away. 

I  offered  my  services  and  the  possibilities  of  St.  Agatha's 
Mission  to  Mr.  Lowder,  and  he  gladly  welcomed  me.  I  had 
had  some  previous  experience  of  the  parish,  some  ten  or  eleven 
years  before,  having  lived  a  year  in  the  Mission  House  before 
I  was  ordained.  Then  my  principal  work  was  to  organize  a  night 
school — in  such  a  neighbourhood  the  most  ungrateful,  exhaust- 
ing, killing  work  that  one  can  do.  I  must  ever  remember  the 
first  night.  We  had  hired  an  old  house  in  a  convenient  street. 
As  there  was  no  gas  in  the  house  we  had  to  improvise  lights  by 
sticking  tallow  candles  in  the  desks.  It  took  all  my  strength  to 
keep  out  the  tide  of  young  men  who  tried  to  swarm  in  after  the 
room  was  full.  At  last  the  door  was  closed.  There  were  a  large 
number  in  the  school,  young  men  of  about  twenty  years  of  age, 
and  they  worked  away  pretty  well  during  the  time  of  instruction  ; 
but  as  soon  as  the  command  was  given,  "  Close  your  books,"  as  if 
by  a  preconcerted  signal  all  the  "  dips "  were  blown  out,  and  in 
the  helpless  darkness  whack  they  came  at  my  devoted  head,  at 
every  possible  angle  and  from  every  corner  of  the  room. 

The  next  night  I  was  on  the  alert,  and  caught  the  ringleader  in 
the  very  act  of  giving  the  signaL  I  boxed  his  ears  as  hard  as  I 
could.  He  coolly  began  to  take  off  his  coat  and  necktie,  and 
some  of  my  friends  hallooed,  "  Mind  what  you're  at,  sir ;  that's 

Bill   ,  the  Wapping  Pet."    I  had  got  hold  of  a  prizefighter. 

I  answered,  "  I  don't  care  who  he  is  if  he  comes  here  he  must 
behave  himself."  Luckily  my  man  took  it  good  naturedly  and 
did  not  hit  me.  He  could  have  smashed  me  to  atoms  if  he  had 
chosen.    There  is  a  great  deal  of  genuine  good  nature  amongst 


254 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


these  fellows,  if  they  know  that  you  are  trying  to  do  them  good, 
and  if  you  are  not  afraid  to  look  them  straight  in  the  face. 

Another  duty  was  to  catch  the  very  ingenious  rascals  who 
disturbed  our  services  in  the  Iron  Church  by  roUing  stones  down 
the  roof.  They  found  out  that  this  made  a  noise  like  thunder 
inside.  I  caught  one  fellow  in  the  very  act  and  shook  him  heartily. 
I  fancy  he  was  a  costermonger,  for  he  jerked  out  as  well  as  his 
breath  would  let  him,  "  What  do  you  shake  me  for  as  if  I  was  'a 
 cauliflower  ! " 

And  now,  after  so  many  years,  the  world  had  so  turned  round 
that  I  found  myself  at  my  old  work  again,  and  in  the  same  old 
place.  This  time  we  were  able  to  start  with  greater  pretensions. 
We  rented  a  large  warehouse,  and  my  dear  friend  the  Rev.  Sydney 
Brooke  Lobb  became  our  partner  and  counsellor.  A  large  staff 
of  gentlemen  came  with  me  each  night  from  the  country,  who 
used  to  be  escorted  down  the  Wapping  Street  by  an  admiring 
crowd  of  lads  shouting  "  Halloo,  teacher  ! "  I  don't  know  what 
these  friends  thought  of  Wapping,  and  of  the  dark  mvsteries  of 
the  streets,  for  they  never  saw  them  in  daylight.  We  used  to 
cross  the  river  in  the  ferry  (this  was  before  the  Tunnel  Railway 
was  made),  shooting  out  into  the  dark  tide,  seeing  the  awful 
"port  and  starboard"  lights  of  steamers  glaring  upon  us;  hear  the 
gruff  roaring  of  the  pilots  and  look-out  men,  with  a  sense  that 
the  fierce  tide  was  bearing  us  down  and  down — Charles  Dickens 
only  knew  where ;  and  at  last  hear  the  keel  grate  on  the  gravel 
shore  as  we  touched  land,  and  jumping  out,  tendered  our  penny  to 
poor  one-legged  Jack.  I  treated  my  friends  well,  for  I  introduced 
them  10  a  greater  delicacy  than  Sybarite  e'er  dreamt  of — roast 
potato  "  all  hot,"  eaten  in  the  street  with  pepper  and  salt 

The  night  school  from  the  first  became  a  great  success.  It 
seemed  born  in  full  vigour.  The  very  first  night  we  had  forty  or 
fifty  stalwart  fellows,  and  soon  the  average  number  of  one  hundred 
was  reached.  ...  I  really  have  never  seen  such  a  sight  in  my 
life  as  this  large  number  of  young  men  gathered  from  the  streets, 
hard  at  work  all  the  evening,  as  quiet  and  orderly  as  possible ; 


NIGHT  SCHOOL. 


some  learning  their  letters;  others,  with  distended  tongiie  and 
with  sprawling  arms,  going  through  tlie  travail  of  a  "copy,'' 
and  now  and  then  some  extraordinary  genius  turning  up — as, 
for  instance,  one  young  man  who  set  himself  a  copy,  Maxima 
debetur pueris  revereiiiia,  which,  when  I  asked  hirn  if  he  understood 
it,  he  translated  word  by  word,  and  who,  when  I  was  fascinating 
my  class  with  an  account  of  the  battle  of  Pultowa,  showed  himself 
quite  intimately  acquainted  with  every  detail  and  consequence  of 
it.  I  at  once  raised  him  to  the  rank  of  teacher,  at  some  trifling 
payment  each  night. 

The  every  night  scene  was  varied  now  and  then  by  some 
striking  incident.  One  night,  in  the  middle  of  school-time,  a 
knock  came  to  the  door ;  and  having  opened  it,  there  stood 
revealed  the  ominous  figures  of  two  policemen.  I  went  to 
them  to  learn  their  pleasure  ;  they  had  come  after  one  of  my  pro- 
mising pupils.  When  I  expostulated  with  them  for  choosing  such 
a  time  and  occasion,  they  said  it  was  their  only  chance.  The 
lad  baffled  pursuit  during  daytime ;  but  his  thirst  for  knowledge 
was  so  great,  that  he  ran  the  risk  of  capture,  because  he  could 
not  resist  the  attraction  of  the  night  school.  The  charge  was 
that,  being  very  hungry,  he  had  stolen  a  piece  of  meat.  I  went 
back  to  my  boys  to  consult  as  to  what  was  to  be  done.  There 
was  no  escape  (the  chimneys  were  out  of  the  question,  and  the 
river  barred  egress  on  the  other  side),  so  I  advised  the  poor  lad  to 
give  himself  up,  I  never  can  forget  the  unnatural  hush  of  the 
large,  excited  crowd  of  boys,  the  stilled  silence  of  their  suspended 
breaths,  whilst  he  was  making  up  his  mind ;  then  with  a  stage- 
struck  air  he  posed  himself  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  and  said, 
"  Comrades,  farewell ! " 

Another  night  we  had  an  internal  commotion.  A  huge, 
cowardly,  hulking,  savage  lad  had  made  himself  particularly  ob- 
jectionable for  many  nights,  both  to  myself  and  to  the  general 
mass  of  boys.  I  had  to  threaten  condign  punishment.  The 
monster  could  have  pitched  me  out  of  the  window;  but  un- 
expected success  was  at  hand.    One  night  a  new  face  appeared,  a 


256 


CHAkLES  LOWDER. 


quiet,  mild  young  man,  who  retired  into  a  corner  of  the  room, 
appHed  himself  diligently  and,  as  I  thought,  with  absorbed  attention 
to  the  business  of  the  school.  He  was  only  biding  his  time.  My 
friend  the  bully  began  his  tricks,  when  the  new-comer  sprang  like 
a  lion  over  the  desk,  and  gave  him  one  !  two !  before  he  knew 
where  he  was.  At  once  space  was  cleared  for  a  fight.  I  did  not 
choose  to  interfere  till  I  thought  the  bully  had  had  enough,  and 
then  I  separated  them.  It  was  the  reformation  of  that  young  man. 
He  wiped  the  blood  off  his  bruised  face,  and  sat  down  like  a  lamb 
to  his  copy-book.  Out  of  pity  to  the  vanquished,  I  paid  him 
some  attention,  when  bye-and-bye  he  said,  "  Did  you  see,  sir,  how 
that  fellow  struck  me  ?  " 

On  Tuesday  and  Thursday  evenings  we  had  a  Bible  class — 
by  which  name  is  not  to  be  understood  a  nice  orderly  assembly  of 
quiet,  decent  men,  sitting  all  round  with  Bibles  in  their  hands, 
and  looking  out  their  references.  No ;  my  Bible  class  was  a  surging 
mob  of  noisy  and  blaspheming  roughs,  whom  one  had  to  quell  by 
psychic  force,  as  one  would  quell  wild  beasts  by  a  commanding 
eye.  Yet  this  great  roomful  could  often  be  held  entranced  and 
in  rapt  astonishment,  especially  when  they  were  told  of  their 
mysterious,  unknown  benefactors.  I  remember  trying  to  represent 
to  them  a  picture  that  at  the  time  was  thrilling  in  my  heart :  a 
little  child,  daughter  of  a  wealthy  house,  stealing  down  the  stair- 
case into  the  hall  to  give  me  her  tiny  savings,  saying,  "  These  are 
for  the  poor  Wappers."  I  had  to  go  on  my  knee  to  stoop  and  kiss 
her  little  hand. 

In  teaching  them,  the  ordinary  style  of  sermon — text,  heads, 
and  application — would  not  go  down  at  all.  I  may  shock  my 
readers  if  I  confess  that  I  once  preached  on  such  a  text  as  this  : 
"  If  you  want  to  spend  a  happy  day,  go  to  Rosherville  Gardens." 
They  were  all  ears  to  this,  and  I  don't  know  that  one  could  have 
chosen  a  more  touching  subject  than  that  ceaseless,  never-satisfied 
craving  of  the  heart  for  happiness,  if  only  for  one  day,  which 
yearning  can  find  rest  alone  in  the  heart  of  Jesus.  The  night 
school  is  a  very  heavy  drag  upon  energies  and  health.  It 


SERMONS  IN  WArriNG. 


would  be  labour  enougli  even  were  the  lads  as  quiet  as  lambs  and 
eager  for  instruction ;  but  it  is  fifty  times  worse  when  you  have 
first  of  all  to  coax  them  to  come  in,  then  when  inside  to  keep 
them  in  order,  and  to  teach  them,  when  perhaps  all  the  time  the 
opposition  party  outside  are  heaving  bricks  and  paving-stones  at 
the  door,  or  chaffing  their  friends  inside  by  shrieking  the  funniest 
things  through  the.  keyhole. 

But  yet  I  must  be  grateful  to  the  night  school ;  for  our  real 
Mission  work  has  resulted  from  it.  First  of  all,  it  brought  us  into 
close  quarters  Avith  the  most  difficult  portion  of  our  population,  the 
young  lads  and  men  ;  and  it  is  always  a  good  thing  to  have 
dealings  with  men,  even  if  no  immediate  result  follow.  But  one 
night,  noticing  that  they  were  interested  in  some  scripture  prints 
I  had  placed  about  the  room,  which  they  were  trying  to  explain 
to  one  another — it  occurred  to  me  to  offer  to  explain  these 
pictures  one  by  one  after  night  school.  The  thing  took  most 
wonderfully.  The  whole  school  stayed  behind,  and  arranged 
themselves  on  the  seats  and  desks  tier  above  tier,  I  Avith  my 
picture  standing  in  the  midst.  If  anything  could  inspire  a  man  to 
be  really  eloquent,  and  to  shake  and  grasp  living  hearts,  it  would 
be  such  a  scene — the  eager,  entranced,  upturned  faces,  the  tear 
starting  unbidden  when  the  crisis  came  of  some  touching  story  of 
Joseph,  of  David,  or  of  our  Lord  ;  the  suspended  breathing  ;  the 
sigh  of  relief  when  all  came  right ;  the  united  cry  of  "  Oh,  please 
go  on  ! "  when  we  had  finished  for  the  night. 

The  history  of  our  special  Sunday  evening  service  is  full  of 
most  important  lessons.  At  first  we  merely  tried  a  class  sitting 
round  the  fire.  It  was  a  motley  group,  all  young  faces — at  least,  all 
under  twenty  years  of  age — and  all  lads,  no  girls — such  a  gang  of 
roughs  !  Well,  for  months  they  resisted ;  the  blasphemy  and 
misbehaviour  were  enough  to  break  one's  heart.' 

We  never  dared  to  venture  on  a  prayer,  and  often  had  to  stop 
the  hymn,  because  they  were  only  mocking  God.  In  rebuking 
them  I  used  to  tell  them  how  different  it  might  be ;  and  once,  to 
encourage  them,  I  gave  vent  to  what  I  then  thought  was  an  im- 


2S8 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


possible  fancy.  I  described  a  reverent  service,  the  psalms  and 
hymns  sung,  and  they  themselves  the  choristers.  The  idea  took. 
They  began  to  prepare ;  a  choir  class  was  formed,  the  conduct  of 
the  lads  improved  every  week,  and  you  could  see  In  their  faces 
that  their  lives  were  different ;  and  actually,  after  some  six  months' 
training,  and  being  sure  that  the  improvement  was  real,  on  one 
St.  Agatha's  Day  we  inaugurated  the  new  order  of  things.  One 
friend  gave  a  piece  of  carpet,  another  a  curtain,  and  so  we  arranged 
the  end  of  our  room  to  look  something  like  a  church ;  cassocks 
and  surplices  were  made,  and  a  reverent  choir  offered  a  really 
hearty  service  of  praise  to  God.  By-and-by  a  cheap  harmonium 
was  furnished,  and  choral  Sunday  Evensong  has  from  that  time 
been  the  established  thing. 

St.  Agatha's  has  always  been  fortunate  in  its  teachers.  Under 
the  present  devoted  mistress,  Miss  Pitt,  one  hundred  per  cent,  of 
the  children  have  passed  the  Government  inspection  these  last  two 
years.  Not  only  is  she  thus  efficient  in  secular  work,  but  she  enters 
heart  and  soul  into  the  missionary  spirit  of  the  place,  and  words 
are  inadequate  to  tell  all  that  a  really  faithful  servant  of  Christ 
can  do  in  such  a  neighbourhood  to  advance  our  Master's  cause. 

As  year  after  year  we  prospered,  so  we  had  to  enlarge,  and 
alter,  and  finally  rebuild  our  premises.  At  last  it  became  neces- 
sary to  build  a  new  school  chapel  as  well.  Mr.  Richard  Foster, 
who  is  at  the  bottom  of  nearly  all  church  extension  in  East  London, 
literally  drove  us  to  this.  Without  his  encouragement  and  help 
we  never  would  have  attempted  such  a  venture,  and  just  at  the 
proper  moment  the  boys  of  Winchester  College  gave  us  ^^41 
towards  this  purpose. 

At  this  time  I  had  given  up  my  chaplaincy,  and  had  settled 
down  as  one  of  the  resident  staff  of  St.  Peter's  parish.  But  my 
old  friends'  interest  in  St.  Agatha's  did  not  flag.  My  patron's  little 
daughter  Agatha,  who  is  also  my  godchild,  laid  the  foundation 
stone  of  the  new  buildings,  and  she  was  supported  by  a  bevy  of 
children,  the  representatives  of  the  many  houses  who  had  supplied 
us  for  so  many  years  with  the  sinews  of  war. 


SCHOOL-CHAPEL. 


259 


I  don't  think  any  set  of  buildings  can  be  better  used,  or  more 
got  out  of  them,  than  these  of  St.  Agatha.  They  are  occupied 
morning,  noon,  and  night. 

First  of  all,  in  the  daytime,  there  is  the  regular  day  school 
with  a  babies'  creche  in  the  old  school.  On  Monday  afternoons 
two  ladies,  who  used  to  attend  the  services  of  St  Agatha's-in-the- 
country,  hold  a  crowded  mothers'  meeting  in  St.  Agatha's-in-the- 
town.  I  am  afraid  to  say  how  many  mothers  attend  (nearly  all 
with  babies),  for  fear  of  being  accused  of  exaggerating.  I  know  I 
have  been  with  them  in  their  country  excursions,  and  have  been 
fairly  crushed  with  the  responsibility.  On  two  days  in  the  week 
some  other  friends  come  from  the  West  End  and  shed  a  few  hours' 
sunshine  on  our  murky  courts.  In  good  truth  many  a  home  of 
sorrow,  many  a  sick  bed,  has  been  brightened  by  the  kind  words 
and  kindly  looks  of  these  gentle  ministrants.  The  most  ungrateful 
and  the  most  useful  work  they  have  attempted  is  to  try  and  win 
the  confidence  and  love  of  the  big  girls,  and  gradually  get  them 
away  from  our  dreadful  streets  to  decent  service.  God  will  reveal 
one  day  the  good  that  has  thus  been  done. 

In  the  evening  the  men  fill  the  new  schoolroom,  smoking, 
reading,  playing  bagatelle  (there  are  two  good  tables)  or  skittles, 
or  racing  in  the  running  ground  outside.  On  Monday  evenings 
the  St  Agatha's  Benefit  Society  meets  to  transact  business.  This 
is  a  sick  club,  managed  entirely  by  the  men  themselves.  On 
Wednesday  evenings  the  desks  are  cleared,  and  the  neighbours 
pour  in  for  the  weekly  concert,  which  once  a  month  resolves  itself 
into  a  ball  (I  wish  my  readers  could  see  how  correctly  and  plea- 
santly the  guests  behave).  The  drum  and  fife  band  practises  twice 
a  week  j  the  stringed  instrument  band  also  twice  a  week.  In  the 
winter  there  are  all  sorts  of  things  going  on — theatricals,  nigger 
entertainments,  anything  to  keep  them  out  of  the  public-houses  and 
out  of  the  streets. 

In  the  old  buildings  night  school  is  held  three  nights  a  week. 
One  year  we  presented  sixty-two  lads  at  the  Government  examina- 
tion, another  fifty,  and  so  on.   This  means  that  so  many  completed 


26o 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


the  forty  nights'  attendance  during  the  winter ;  and  to  get  this 
number  perhaps  Ave  had  two  hundred  on  the  books.  After  the 
school  is  over,  and  on  the  other  nights,  the  lads  use  the  rooms  for 
club  purposes  until  ten  o'clock  at  night;  of  course  under  the 
superintendence  of  a  regular  paid  officer,  who  is  known  as  the 
"  chucker  out."  No  boys'  club  in  East  London  can  possibly  exist 
without  such  a  functionary.  I  tried  to  do  without  him  once,  and 
put  the  lads  on  their  honour,  but  I  suppose  the  moral  strain 
destroyed  all  the  fun,  for  they  insisted  on  his  restoration. 
Monarchy,  absolute  monarchy,  is  the  only  real  paternal  govern- 
ment after  all. 

It  tires  one  only  to  think  of  the  life — boiling,  mad-hot,  overflowing 
life — that  is  exhibited  in  this  lads'  club ;  some  of  them  performing 
daring  feats  on  the  trapeze,  turning  somersaults  backward, 
playing  single-stick,  boxing  with  the  gloves,  playing  bagatelle,  and 
upstairs  the  quiet  ones  either  playing  bagatelle  or  dominoes,  or 
discussing  the  politics  of  the  neighbourhood.  We  used  to  have 
a  famous  boating  club,  but  the  accidents  were  so  frequent  and  so 
serious  that  I  was  glad  to  dissolve  it.  In  the  summer  the  lads 
play  cricket  either  in  the  playground  or  in  Victoria  Park  (which  is 
more  than  two  miles  away).  A  cricket  madness  has  seized  them, 
and  their  club  is  called  the  "  Wellington,"  out  of  compliment  to 
the  boys  of  Wellington  College,  who  support  the  club  and  the  fife 
and  drum  band. 

I  am  of  course  giving  a  picture  of  the  state  of  things  now  that 
the  clubs  have  gone  through  years  of  discipline,  and  things  are  in 
full  swing.  Those  who  have  had  to  do  with  these  sort  of  things 
will  know  something  of  the  disappointments,  rebelHons,  discourage- 
ments, ingratitude,  and  failures  that  have  to  be  patiently  borne 
with  and  triumphed  over  before  a  constitution  can  be  settled 

Perseverance  is  really  the  secret  of  success  in  such  work,  of 
course  under  the  blessing  of  God.  "  It's  dogged  that  does  it." 
On  Sunday  evenings,  and  on  Thursday  evenings,  there  is  service 
in  St.  Agatha's  Chapel— hearty  encouraging  service.  The  stringed 
band  accompany  the  psalms  and  hymns.    Miss  Pitt  plays  the 


CLUBS. 


organ,  which  .was  presented  by  one  of  the  daughters  of  my 
patron. 

It  is  a  hard  thing  in  writing  such  an  account  as  this  to  steer 
clear  of  names.  The  individuals,  even  if  nameless,  must  be 
dragged  in  to  give  a  true  colour  to  the  scene.  For  instance,  it 
would  be  quite  impossible  to  write  a  true  account  of  St.  Agatha's, 
without  introducing  the  person  of  one  gentleman  in  particular, 
a  son-in-law  of  my  patron,  who  has  been  our  most  stanch  and 
generous  supporter  throughout,  not  only  by  his  large  subscrip- 
tions and  gifts  to  the  Mission,  but  by  his  personal  interest  and 
presence  at  committee  meetings,  night  school  suppers,  and  other 
occasions. 

And  then  how  am  I  to  express  the  obligations  we  are  under  to 
the  many  gentlemen  who  have  helped  on  the  work  of  teaching  in 
the  night  school  and  managing  the  club  ?  It  could  best  be  done 
by  detailing  some  of  the  results  of  their  labours ,  but  space  will 
not  permit.  I  must  give  one  case — a  lad  who  came  to  us,  not 
even  knowing  his  letters.  He  worked  away,  and  got  on  in  his 
business,  until  from  earning  three  shillings  a  week  he  has  risen  to 
twenty-four ;  and  he  saves  up  his  money  (after  helping  the  old 
folk  at  home)  in  order  to  take  little  holiday  trips,  sometimes  in 
England,  sometimes  on  the  Continent.  Last  year  he  went  to 
Paris ;  this  year  he  has  gone  up  the  Rhine.  If  that  is  not 
"raising  the  masses,"  I  don't  know  what  is;  and  I  have  only 
spoken  of  the  material  improvement  which  is  the  least  part  of  his 
cultivation  and  progress.  I  should  like  to  pay  a  passing  tribute 
of  affection  and  respect  to  the  conscientious  and  talented  master 
who  for  so  long  a  time  conducted  the  St.  Agatha's  Day  School, 
the  late  John  Martin.  Mrs.  Craik  has  written  his  life  in  her 
charming  book  "A  Legacy,"  and  has  given  us  some  of  his 
writings.  It  is  for  me  to  bear  grateful  witness  to  the  wonderful 
influence  for  good  he  exerted  on  his  pupils,  the  results  of  which 
can  never  be  effaced. 

Surely  life  is  a  mystery,  and  especially  the  sort  of  life  that 
settles  itself  in  such  muddy  holes  and  corners,  wiicn  from  the 


262 


CHARLES  LOVVDER. 


seeming  refuse  can  be  dredged  such  a  brilliant  intelligence  as  this 
gifted  youth. 

My  opinion  is  that  the  best  way  of  working  a  large  East  End 
parish  is  in  this  way,  by  opening  Mission  rooms  and  clubs  in 
suitable  localities,  to  get  at  the  poor,  teach  them  the  Christian 
faith,  and  gradually  lead  them  on  to  the  altar  of  the  parish 
church. 

Two  other  branches  of  St.  Agatha's  Mission  in  conclusion 
must  be  spoken  of— the  Convalescent  Home  and  the  playground. 

I  was  opening  my  letters  one  morning  when  out  of  one  of 
them  tumbled  a  cheque  for  ^looo.  Liberal  friends  had  already 
formed  within  me  the  habit  of  receiving  large  sums  of  money 
with  an  even  heart,  but  I  confess  this  took  away  my  breath.  It 
was  but  the  first  instalment  of  a  sum  of  ;^20oo  which  the  late 
Mrs.  Walter  Morton  gave  for  the  purpose  of  founding  a  Con- 
valescent Home  for  the  poor  of  our  parish.  This  Home  has 
been  in  good  working  order  for  more  than  three  years,  and  has 
been  the  greatest  possible  blessing  to  the  poor.  It  is  at  Reigate 
in  Surrey,  and  is  under  the  effective  management  of  Miss  Challen, 
the  honorary  lady  superintendent,  who  makes  herself  the  per- 
sonal friend  and  comforter  of  the  invalids  who  are  put  under 
her  care-  Dr.  Walter  Smith  is  the  honorary  physician,  and  he 
spares  neither  time  nor  trouble  to  benefit  his  patients.  Funds  are 
desperately  needed  to  complete  the  endowment,  and  thus  per- 
petuate this  noble  work. 

The  playground  was  a  more  cold-blooded  venture.  A  large 
plot  of  ground  in  our  parish  was  to  be  sold  for  building  purposes. 
It  is  not  often  that  spare  ground  is  to  be  had  in  the  heart  of 
London,  and  this  was  only  vacant  because  the  houses  had  been 
pulled  down  by  the  East  London  Railway.  I  thought  it  would  be 
a  good  thing  to  secure  it  as  a  playground  for  the  poor  little  children 
who  have  no  place  to  play  in,  and  who  are  hunted  by  the  police  if 
they  play  in  the  streets.  The  editor  of  the  Standard  inserted  my 
appeal,  and  added  kind  words  of  recommendation  ;  Punch  also 
took  up  the  cause,  and  the  money  came  in  fast  and  furious — so 


PLAY-GROUND. 


263 


fast  that  in  a  month's  time  I  had  to  cry,  "  Hold  !  enough  !  "  Mr. 
Robert  Loder,  M.P.,  had  offered  to  make  up  the  deficiency. 

The  freehold  was  purchased  and  a  wall  built  round  it  at  a 
cost  of  about  ;^i3oo.  We  had  a  grand  opening.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Loder  came  down  to  perform  the  ceremony,  and  many  other 
subscribers  were  present.  The  gift  to  the  children  has  been  the 
greatest  boon. 

I  have  finished.  I  shall  be  more  than  repaid  if  what  I  have 
tried  to  say  stirs  up  the  heart  of  any  reader  to  do  something  to 
help  the  work  of  Christ  in  East  London.  Many  young  curates 
in  West  End  or  suburban  parishes  have  no  poor  to  visit.  Would 
it  not  be  a  grand  thing  for  themselves,  and  for  their  congregations, 
were  they  during  the  week  to  meet  our  Lord  in  the  person  of  His 
poor  in  this  spiritual  Galilee?  The  Bishop  of  Bedford  could  find 
them  work  to  do. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


OLER-AMMERGAU  AND  THE  AUSTRIAN  TYROL. 
1870,  1871. 

"  Some  vague  emotion  of  delight 
In  gazing  up  an  Alpine  height, 
Some  yearning  toward  the  lamps  of  night." 

In  1870  Mrs.  Lowder's  health  began  to  fail.  It  was 
but  the  beginning  of  the  end,  and  the  first  warning  of  a 
bereavement  which  was  deeply  felt  by  Father  Lowder 
during  the  rest  of  his  life.  All  the  tenderest  feelings  of 
a  heart  most  constant  in  its  affections  had  twined  them- 
selves around  the  mother  who  well  deserved  her  son's  love 
and  duty.  In  July  she  was  well  enough  to  receive  her 
youngest  son  and  his  bride  on  their  wedding  visit. 
"  Whilst  they  were  with  us,"  her  daughter  wrote,  "  she  was 
very  bright  and  cheerful,  and  able  to  enjoy  their  society. 
After  that  her  complaint  showed  dropsical  symptoms.  In 
October  the  doctor  said  nothing  could  be  done  except  by 
way  of  alleviation.  My  mother  was  always  patient  and 
cheerful,  and  full  of  thankfulness."  The  following  extracts 
from  letters  are  almost  all  addressed  to  her ;  the  first 
being  written  on  his  fiftieth  birthday  : — 

Rectory,  Chislehurst,  June  23,  1870. 
....  I  came  over  here  yesterday  for  a  day  in  fresh  air,  but  I 
go  back  this  evening.    It  makes  one  feel  very  old  to  have  passed 


TOUR  IN  WALES. 


255 


one's  fiftieth  birthday,  but  I  have  great  reason  to  be  thankful  for 
the  many  mercies  and  blessings  I  have  had,  and  not  the  least  of 
them  is  the  gift  of  good  parents.  ...  I  hope  to  meet  Murray  and 
some  of  his  party  at  Ober-Ammergau,  and  probably  Murray  will 
do  some  walking  with  me  and  Body. 

He  gave  up  this  hoped-for  excursion,  however,  and  paid 
a  visit  instead  to  his  friend,  IMr.  Wynne  of  Peniarth. 

Aberamfra  House,  Barmouth,  August  15,  1870. 

My  DEAR  Mother, 

As  I  know  you  will  be  glad  to  hear  of  my  progress,  I 
take  the  earliest  opportunity  of  writing.  I  had  a  pleasant  ride  to 
Shrewsbury,  getting  a  good  sight  of  Ludlow  Church  and  Castle, 
which  must  command  a  very  fine  view  from  its  high  situation. 
The  country  between  Ludlow  and  Shrewsbury  is  also  well  worth 
seeing ;  there  are  some  high  ranges  of  hills  immediately  over  the 
line.  I  met  Mr.  "Wynne  at  Shrewsbury  station,  and  we  went  on 
together  to  Chirk,  about  an  hour's  travelling  from  Shrewsbury. 
Lord  Dungannon  met  us  at  the  station,  and  we  went  with  him  to 
Brynkinalt,  a  very  beautiful  place  about  a  mile  from  the  station. 
Then  we  lunched,  and  then  started  for  Valle  Crucis  Abbey  on  his 
car.  We  drove  through  the  Vale  of  Llangollen  to  Llangollen  and 
Valle  Crucis.  There  was  a  large  party  of  the  Archaeological 
Institute  there;  and  as  Lord  Dungannon  and  Mr.  Wynne  have  been 
chiefly  concerned  in  clearing  out  the  abbey,  we  saw  it  to  great 
advantage.  It  was  also  a  lovely  afternoon,  and  this  added  to  the 
charm  of  the  scenery,  which  is  very  beautiful,  the  abbey  being 
situated  in  the  most  romantic  part  of  the  Vale  of  Llangollen. 
There  is  a  great  deal  of  the  church  remaining,  and  in  very  good 
order.  The  west  end  is  especially  beautiful  from  a  small  rose 
window  over  the  three  lights.  There  are  some  remains  of  monu- 
ments of  about  the  twelfth  or  thirteenth  century,  which  have  been 
put  together.  The  abbey  buildings,  consisting  of  the  abbot's 
house  and  what  is  supposed  to  be  the  refectory  and  dormitories, 
are  also  standing,  and  there  is  a  very  ancient  Saxon  cross  of  about 


266 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


the  eighth  or  ninth  century  in  a  field  near.  I  met  Miss  Lloyd 
of  Rhagate,  near  Corwen,  whom  I  have  known  for  some  time,  and 
who  has  asked  Mr.  Wynne  and  myself  to  stay  at  Rhagate,  which 
perhaps  I  may  do  on  my  way  back,  if  I  do  not  go  by  way  of 
Monmouthshire.  Mr.  F.  Baker  and  Mr.  Scarth  were  also  among 
the  Archjeological  party.  We  returned  to  a  late  dinner,  enjoying 
the  rich  sunset  among  the  hills,  and  slept  at  Brynkinalt,  which  is 
a  very  fine  house,  well  situated  in  a  large  and  wooded  park,  in 
which  I  managed  to  take  a  short  walk  after  breakfast  yesterday. 
We  also  took  a  stroll  in  the  grounds  of  Chirk  Castle  before  the 
train  started,  and  then  met  the  coach  at  Llangollen  Road  Station, 
and  had  a  beautiful  drive  through  Llangollen,  Corwen,  and  Bala, 
to  Dolgelly,  where  Mr.  Wynne's  carriage  met  us,  and  brought  us 
to  Barmouth  about  eight.  The  day  was  very  fine,  though  the 
highest  peak  of  Cader  Idris  was  tipped  part  of  the  time  by  mist. 
As  Mr.  Wynne  knew  every  place  and  everybody,  the  drive  was  the 
more  agreeable.  To-day  we  are  going  to  Harlech  Castle,  and  as 
the  weather  is  very  fine  I  think  we  shall  enjoy  it.  I  got  a  bathe 
before  breakfast  among  the  rocks  just  under  the  house,  and  feel 
all  the  better  for  the  sea  air  already.  I  am  writing  now  with  a 
fine  view  of  the  sea  before  me.  My  love  to  uncle  and  aunt, 
and  believe  me, 

Your  dutiful  and  affectionate  son, 

Charles. 

Aberamfra  House,  Barmouth,  August  i6,  1870. 

My  dear  Annie, 

The  letter  which  I  wrote  yesterday  to  my  mother  will, 
I  conclude,  be  sent  to  you,  and  give  you  an  account  of  my  journey 
hither  from  Hereford  on  Monday,  and  a  very  delightful  excursion 
to  Valle  Crucis.  I  was  not  able  to  give  any  description  of  the 
pleasant  place  at  which  I  was  staying,  for  I  had  not  time  before 
the  post  to  explore  its  beauties.  The  house  is  situated  over  the 
river  Mather  or  Mawr,  which  runs  into  the  sea  at  Barmouth,  but 
commanding  a  beautiful  view  of  the  sea  looking  south-west.  Yes- 
terday we  saw  the  extreme  point  of  Cardigan  Bay,  and,  we 


HARLECH  CASTLE. 


267 


thought,  St.  David's  Head  from  the  road  just  under  the  house. 
The  house  itself  is  nothing  particular,  being  only  a  large  lodging- 
house  improved  and  enlarged.    It  does  not  belong  to  Mr.  Wynne; 
his  own  place  is  the  other  side  of  the  river,  called  Peniarth,  not 
far  from  the  foot  of  Cader  Idris,  near  Towyn,  but  it  is  now  under- 
going repair.    But  the  grounds  behind  the  house  are  most  lovely, 
consisting  of  large  woods  and  plantations,  covering  the  slope  of 
the  hill  and  descending  almost  to  the  water's  edge;  the  walks 
winding  up  the  sides,  with  views  every  now  and  then  of  Cader  and 
its  different  peaks,  and  the  other  hills  around  it,  until  you  come 
out  at  the  top  on  some  fine  rugged  rocks,  which  I  have  not  yet 
explored,  but  which,  I  believe,  command  some  lovely  scenery. 
The  flower  and  kitchen  gardens  are  pretty  enclosed  spots  among 
the  woods,  sheltered  by  the  hills,  so  that  altogether  it  is  one  of  the 
most  charming  places  of  the  kind  I  know.    Yesterday  we  drove  to 
Harlech  Castle,  about  ten  miles.    The  day  was  lovely ;  the  Bay  of 
Cardigan  to  the  south,  the  Carnarvonshire  hills  to  the  north,  with 
the  Isle  of  Bardsey  at  the  extreme  point  perfectly  clear ;  Snowdon 
towering  above  the  surrounding  mountains,  alternately  misty  and 
clear,  the  thin  snowy  drifts  of  cloud  hiding  one  moment  its  highest 
peak,  and  then  lifting  off,  and  forming  a  bank  of  darker  clouds 
above ;  beautiful  wooded  hills  forming  the  sides  of  the  bay  up  to 
Portmadoc,  which  divided  us  from  the  mountains.    The  castle,  a 
fine  specimen  of  a  large  and  very  strong  Norman  fortification,  in 
good  preservation,  stands  upon  a  high  inland  rock,  separated  by 
some  salt  marshes  from  the  sea,  which  seems  once,  though  not 
since  the  building  of  the  castle,  to  have  washed  its  foot  There 
are  two  round  towers  at  the  extremities,  connected  by  a  high  cur- 
tained wall  and  battlements.    The  remains  of  the  large  hall  to  the 
west,  looking  out  on  the  sea,  of  the  chapel,  north-west  of  the  main 
building  looking  into  the  court,  are  well  preserved.    There  is  a 
beautiful  view  from  the  battlements,  which  we  enjoyed  thoroughly 
from  the  brightness  of  the  day,  and  perhaps  also  the  more  from 
some  excitement  in  climbing  up  dangerous  places  to  obtain  it. 
The  road  from  here  to  Harlech  by  the  line  of  coast  has  every- 


268 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


where  a  fine  prosiDect  seaward,  and  in  some  places,  besides  the 
mountains,  some  wooded  glens  inland. 

Yesterday  we  walked  to  a  new  house  which  Mr.  Jelf,  formerly 
tutor  of  Christ  Church,  has  built,  with  a  splendid  view  of  the  river 
and  mountains  beyond.  To-day  we  have  had  a  pleasant  expedi- 
tion to  a  house  of  Sir  H.  Bunbury,  on  the  other  side  of  the  river ; 
we  rowed  there  and  back,  had  a  long  walk  among  the  woods  and 
shore,  and  a  bathe.  To-morrow  we  hope  to  accomplish  Cader 
Idris.  Sunday  I  am  to  preach  at  the  church,  and  we  have  in  view 
an  expedition  to  Bardsey  Island,  off  the  coast  of  Carnarvonshire. 
On  Wednesday  we  shall  probably  go  to  Mr.  Lloyd's  at  Rhagate, 
near  Corwen,  and  spend  a  couple  of  days,  which  will  bring  me  so 
far  on  my  way  back  to  London  by  Shrewsbury  and  Birmingham. 
I  suppose  my  mother  returns  to-day.  I  had  hoped  to  have  heard 
from  her,  but  conclude  she  had  no  time  before  she  left  Hereford. 
Give  my  duty  to  my  father  and  her,  and  love  to  all  tJie  rest  of  the 
party.  I  feel  all  the  better  for  the  sea  air  and  bathing,  which  I 
enjoy  every  day,  to-day  twice. 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

Charles. 

Barmouth,  August  20,  1S70. 

My  dear  Mother, 

I  hope  you  received  the  letter  which  I  sent  on 
Wednesday  to  Hereford,  giving  you  an  account  of  my  arrival 
here.  On  Friday  we  took  a  boat  up  the  river  to  a  very  pretty 
place  of  a  Sir  Henry  Bunbury,  under  the  mountains  and  sur- 
rounded by  very  beautiful  woods,  returning  by  the  shore.  In  the 
evening  a  sudden  plan  was  formed  of  ascending  Cader  to  see  the 
sunrise,  so  at  midnight  Mr.  Wynne,  another  gentleman,  and 
myself,  with  a  guide,  started  on  our  expedition.  We  crossed  in  a 
boat  to  the  other  side  of  the  river,  having  to  be  carried  some  way 
on  the  boatman's  shoulders  to  the  dry  sand ;  then  we  had  a 
difficult  walk  through  a  bog,  and  then  began  to  ascend.  At  first 
the  walking  was  pretty  easy  through  the  lanes  in  a  wood ;  then  we 
struck  into  a  road  for  a  little  way,  but  soon  after  crossing  a  field 


ASCENT  OF  CADER  IDRIS. 


269 


or  two,  began  a  very  tough  pull  up  the  side  of  the  mountain, 
which  nearly  finished  one  of  the  party.  However,  we  had  a  capital 
guide  and  a  very  fine  night,  rather  too  warm.  After  this  ascent 
of  about  a  mile,  we  struck  off  by  the  side  of  the  mountain  over 
some  more  even  ground.  It  was  then  pretty  light,  and  we  almost 
feared  we  should  be  late  on  the  top ;  however,  we  rested  to  take 
some  refreshment  at  a  spring  about  a  mile  from  the  top,  and  then 
hastened  on,  and  reached  the  summit  at  about  twenty  minutes  to 
five.  The  rosy  tinge  was  already  on  some  of  the  clouds,  and  in 
about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  we  caught  sight  of  the  top  of  the  ball 
of  fire  bursting  through  the  clouds  ;  this  gradually  rose,  melting 
the  clouds  into  the  most  lovely  ruby  and  golden  colours  ;  and  at 
last  we  saw  the  whole  circle  above  the  clouds,  and  the  tops  of  the 
hills  first,  and  at  last  the  valleys  at  our  feet,  began  to  receive  its 
light  and  glow  in  the  morning  brightness.  It  was  altogether  a 
glorious  prospect,  to  see  the  hills,  which  the  day  before  were 
towering  above  us,  now  far  below  ;  to  catch  the  distant  mountains, 
Snowdon  and  its  surrounding  hills,  on  one  side,  Phnhmmon  to 
the  south-east,  the  sea  to  the  south,  Barmouth  north,  and  then 
the  beautiful  valleys  immediately  below,  was  a  rich  reward  for  our 
exertions.  I  never  saw  anything  like  it  before.  A  sunrise  at  sea  is 
very  grand,  but  you  lose  the  hills  and  valleys  which  we  saw 
glowing  in  the  early  rays.  We  remained  at  the  top  for  about  an 
hour  and  a  half,  and  had  some  refreshment  for  the  inner  man  in 
a  little  hut  on  the  top,  and  about  half-past  six  we  started  on  the 
descent,  and  reached  home  about  half-past  nine.  I  took  a  good 
bath,  made  myself  comfortable,  and  got  breakfast,  and  then  rested 
in  an  armchair  for  two  or  three  hours,  took  a  walk  in  the  after- 
noon to  an  interesting  old  church  on  the  sands,  and  we  were  none 
of  us  sorry  when  bed-time  came. 

St.  Peter's  Vicarage,  September  13,  1870. 
I  got  home  last  Saturday,  feeling  much  better  for  my  holiday, 
though  it  has  not  been  the  same  change  as  that  anticipated  in  the 
Tyrol.   You  have  no  doubt  heard  of  me  at  Alvanley,  where  I  was 


270 


CHARLES  LOIVDER. 


very  glad  to  see  'Willy  so  happily  settled  ;  for  though  it  would  not 
suit  my  idea  while  I  have  health  and  strength,  yet  I  think  he  may 
find  much  to  interest  him  in  his  parish,  and  he  and  Janie  seem 
\-ery  happy  together.  I  spent  a  day  with  an  old  friend  at 
Tarporley,  after  leaving  them,  and  then  took  the  opportunity  of  a 
Retreat  at  Stoke,  in  Shropshire,  where  some  friends  of  mine  have 
commenced  the  Society  of  the  Holy  Spirit  The  house  is 
delightfully  situated  and  wonderfully  adapted  for  a  brotherhood, 
and  the  work  they  contemplate,  I  think,  promises  to  do  great  good. 
The  few  quiet  days  there  have,  I  hope,  braced  me  spiritually  for 
my  work,  as  my  holiday  did  bodily. 

In  November  Father  Lowder  preached  a  Mission  at 
Plymouth  and  Devonport.  He  took  the  greater  interest 
in  it,  because  Plymouth  was  his  mother's  native  place. 
He  writes  to  her  on  November  25  :  "I  was  very  tired  after 
all  the  work  at  Plymouth,  but  feel  better  now,  and  think 
we  have  every  reason  to  be  thankful  for  the  ]\Iission.  The 
clergy  were  very  thankful  for  it." 

Years  after,  a  Plymouth  gentleman  spoke  of  the  lastinq^ 
effects  it  had  produced  upon  many.  Of  Father  Lowder 
he  says : — 

I  first  saw  him,  I  think,  in  November,  1870,  when  he  came 
down  to  a  Mission  here  in  Plymouth.  The  Mission  was  held  in 
five  churches  in  Plymouth  and  Devonport.  Most  of  the  arrange- 
ments were  made  by  him,  and  he  invited  most  of  the  missioners. 
He  conducted  the  Mission  himself  at  St.  Peter's  Church,  where 
the  Rev.  G.  R.  Prynne  is  Vicar.  I  was  working  as  a  lay  helper  at 
another  church  at  some  distance,  and  so  did  not  see  much  of  him 
during  the  Mission,  but  at  its  close  a  guild  was  formed  for  men, 
with  simple  rules,  which  was  called  the  Society  of  the  Good 
Shepherd.  I  think  he  suggested  the  name,  and  I  know  he  took 
great  interest  in  its  formation  and  I  saw  him  frequently  about  it 


PLYMOUTH  MISSION. 


271 


and  afterwards  he  often  asked  me  about  its  progress.  What  struck 
me  then  and  often  afterwards  was  the  way  in  which  he  took 
apparently  a  special  interest  in  whatever  he  was  at  the  time  at- 
tending to.  He  had  a  number  of  cares  and  anxieties  at  the 
time,  I  know,  and  many  things  to  think  about,  but  he  gave  his 
attention  as  fully  to  the  formation  of  this  guild  as  if  he  had 
nothing  else  in  the  world  to  care  about.  I  noticed  this  often 
when  I  was  with  him  in  the  Clergy  House  at  London  Docks. 
He  would  come  in  from  the  parish  and  sit  down  in  his  study,  and 
talk  with  his  whole  mind  given  to  the  subject,  and  then,  when 
called  out,  as  he  constantly  was,  to  see  some  poor  or  rich  persons, 
he  would  immediately  give  them  his  entire  attention,  and  return 
to  resume  the  conversation  as  if  it  had  never  been  interrupted.  I 
think  it  was  this  and  his  sweet  serenity  of  temper  that  made  the 
children  so  fond  of  him. 

On  the  last  night  of  the  Mission  most  striking  and  joyous 
services  were  held  at  the  different  churches,  at  which  a  renewal 
of  baptismal  vows  took  place.  .  .  .  The  fervour  and  determination 
with  which  the  various  questions  were  answered  by  both  men  and 
women  augured  well  for  the  future  loyalty  to  the  crucified  Lord  of 
many  a  soul  who  had  paid  allegiance  for  so  long  to  the  Prince 
of  Darkness.  .  .  .  Many  who  had  never  entered  God's  house 
since  their  childhood  were  to  be  seen,  night  after  night,  joining 
with  all  their  hearts  in  the  prayers  and  hymns,  and  listening 
intently  to  the  earnest  words  of  the  missioner. 

Father  Lewder  became  very  ill  after  his  work  at 
Plymouth — it  was  thought  to  be  from  blood-poisoning — 
and  did  not  recover  for  some  time.  His  father  was  also 
very  ill  at  this  time,  and  his  beloved  mother's  end  was 
plainly  drawing  near.  He  writes  to  her  on  December 
14,  1870  : — 

I  fear  you  must  suff'er  a  good  deal  in  the  night,  but  you 
remember  One  who  came  to  His  disciples  by  night,  walking  upon 


272 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


the  sea,  and  I  doubt  not  He  is  with  you,  comforting  and  sup- 
porting j-ou.  It  is  a  great  blessing  to  think  how  Uttle  serious 
illness  you  have  had,  and  I  pray  sincerely  that  you  may  be  spared 
a  lingering  illness,  but  all  is  in  God's  hands,  and  He  will  direct 
ever}'thing  best.  West  has  just  lost  his  mother,*  who  was  a  great 
friend  of  mine  at  St.  Barnabas',  and  one  of  my  district  visitors. 
She  had  only  a  month's  illness.  I  had  a  note  from  him  yesterday, 
in  reply  to  one  of  sympathy  I  sent  him,  and  he  spoke  of  the 
comfort  they  had  in  knowing  how  long  she  had  been  watching. 
He  mentioned  you  very  kindly  in  the  note.  You  may  be  sure 
you  have  a  great  many  praying  for  you.  I  am  looking  forward 
very  anxiously  to  spend  one  more  birthday  with  you  ;  the  rest  is 
known  to  God  .  .  . 

To  his  sister  he  writes  : — 

Vigil  of  St.  Thomas,  1870. 
I  will  tell  you  my  engagements  and  then  put  myself  in  your 
hands.  All  the  rest  of  this  week  I  shall  be  engaged  hearing 
the  confessions  for  Christmas ;  next  week  we  have  our  children's 
treats  and  the  communicants'  supper,  the  latter  on  Wednesday, 
St.  John's  Day.  Of  course  I  should  be  sorry  to  be  away  New 
Year's  Eve,  or  New  Year's  Day,  or  indeed  Epiphany,  if  I  can 
avoid  it ;  but  still  I  depend  upon  your  writing  or  telegraphing  to 
me  at  once,  in  case  of  need.  ...  I  hope  my  mother  received  my 
note  the  other  day;  she  need  not  doubt  that  she  has  many 
prayers  to  support  hef .  I  asked  Mackonochie  to-day  to  remember 
her  .  .  .  and  he  is  now  a  confessor  for  the  faith.  She  will,  I  am 
sure,  have  the  prayers  of  all  our  people  here ;  and  tell  her  my 
sincere  prayer  is  that  she  may  have  abundant  consolations  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  that  she  may  rest  calmly  and  sweetly  in  the  arms 
of  Jesus.    Tell  her  I  will  come  at  any  moment  she  wishes. 

On  Christmas  Eve  Mrs.  Lowder's  -weakness  and  suffer- 
ing became  so  great  that  a  telegram  was  sent  to  her  son  at 

♦  Lady  Maria  West. 


NEW  YEAR'S  LETTER. 


273 


St.  Peter's.  He  received  it  in  the  vestry  wliile  preparing 
to  celebrate  on  Cliristmas  morning.  He  celebrated  at  six, 
and  then  travelled  down  at  once  to  Frome.  When  his 
mother  heard  he  was  come,  his  sister  writes,  "  her  face 
beamed  with  joy." 

Ten  days  of  great  suffering  followed,  Mrs.  Lowder  being 
unable  to  stay  long  in  bed  or  in  the  same  position.  Two 
of  her  children  sat  on  each  side  of  her  chair,  and  she 
rested  her  head  on  one  or  the  other  as  she  could. 

There  was  a  radiant  beauty  in  her  face  (her  daughter  wrote), 
and  it  was  a  beautiful  picture  when  Charles  was  supporting  her, 
and  her  head  was  on  his  shoulder.  .  .  .  Charles  has  been  an  inex- 
pressible comfort  to  us  all ;  I  do  not  know  how  we  should  have  got 
through  it  without  him.  The  devotion  and  tenderness  of  mother 
and  son  was  touching,  and  she  valued  greatly  the  nightly  prayers 
and  blessings  from  her  two  sons.  It  is  not  every  mother  who  could 
have  such  spiritual  aid  as  she  was  afforded,  and  almost  to  the  last 
she  was  sensible  and  joined  in  the  prayers.  The  last  words  we 
heard  were,  "  Lord  Jesus,  release  me."  My  father  is  very  weak 
and  shaken.  .  .  .  Charles'  kindness  and  tenderness  to  him  and  to 
us  all  is  most  refreshing. 

On  New  Year's  Eve  Father  Lowder  sent  the  following 
letter  to  his  people  at  St.  Peter's ;  his  mother  had  noticed 
the  bells  ringing  out  the  old  year,  and  said,  "I  wish  a 
happy  New  Year  to  those  who  are  left  in  it." 

My  dear  Brethren  and  Sisters  in  Jesus  Christ, 

You  may  be  sure  that  it  is  a  great  source  of  sorrow  and 
regret  to  me  that  I  am  not  able  to  join  to-night  in  your  New  Year's 
Eve  service,  and  to  speak  to  you  as  usual  of  the  warnings  of  the 
past  and  the  hopes  of  the  coming  year.  It  is  the  first  time  during 
fourteen  years  that  this  privilege  has  been  denied  to  me,  and  now 
it  is  only  the  duty  of  comforting  a  dying  mother  in  her  last  hours 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


that  keeps  me  from  you.  When,  however,  a  parent  needs  my 
presence  in  her  last  great  need,  to  whose  lessons  and  example  of 
holiness  I  owe  so  much,  whose  prayers  and  encouragement  have 
sustained  me  during  many  trials,  especially  in  my  work  amongst 
you,  and  whose  calmness  and  resignation  in  these  hours  of  her 
own  suffering  are  a  source  of  edification  to  all  who  are  permitted 
to  witness  them,  I  am  sure  that  you  will  allow  that  I  am  rightly 
absent  from  St  Peter's  this  evening.  .  .  . 

Standing,  as  I  do  at  this  moment,  in  the  presence  of  one  so 
dear,  whose  span  of  life  is  nearly  closed,  I  can  the  more  urgently 
impress  upon  you  the  duty  of  remembering  how  short  your  own  life 
is,  and  the  necessity  of  preparing  for  that  time  when  God  may  see 
fit  to  call  you.  May  He  grant  that  the  same  assurance  of  His 
abiding  love,  the  same  consolation  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  sam.e 
absolution  of  the  priest,  the  same  Blessed  Sacrament  of  His  Body 
and  Blood,  may  sustain  us  in  our  last  moments  in  the  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death  ! 

But  a  happy  and  peaceful  death  is  the  crown  and  completion 
of  a  holy  life ;  such  calmness  and  submission  to  God's  will  are 
not  to  be  attained  in  a  moment,  but  are  God's  gifts,  most  precious 
gifts  to  those  who  have  cultivated  them  in  their  time  of  probation. 
May  the  solemn  thoughts  which  press  upon  us  now  help  us  in  such 
resolutions  for  the  coming  year,  so  as  to  lead  us  all  to  seek  more 
earnestly  for  that  grace  which  can  at  once  enable  us  both  to  live 
and  die  in  the  presence  of  God,  and  in  the  love  of  our  Lord  and 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ. 

I  ask  your  prayers  that  He  who  loved  His  own  that  abide  in 
this  world,  may  love  her  unto  the  end,  and  that  we  who  survive 
may  be  comforted  and  blessed  in  this  our  earthly  pilgrimage,  and 
in  our  day  be  found  watching.  I  wish  you  all  a  truly  '•'  happy  New 
Year,"  and  I  pray  that  the  blessing  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  Father, 
Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  may  rest  abundantly  upon  the  clergy,  the 
Sisters,  the  faithful,  the  children,  and  the  whole  parish  of  St  Peter's. 
Yours  affectionately  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 

C.  F.  LOWDER. 

Frome,  New  Year's  Eve,  1870. 


DEATH  OF  MRS.  LOWDER. 


Mrs.  Lowder  entered  into  rest  on  January  4,  1871  ;  her 
eldest  son  remained  at  Frome  for  her  funeral,  and  returned 
to  his  work  on  the  12th.  One  who  knew  him  best  in  his 
h'fe  of  labour  said,  "He  never  seemed  the  same  after  his 
mother's  death."    To  his  father  he  writes  : — 

St.  Teter's,  January  20,  1871. 

My  dearest  Father, 

You  must  not  think,  because  I  did  not  write  to  you 
yesterday,  that  I  was  not  thinking  much  about  you  and  my 
dear  mother,  but  I  felt  I  was  really  doing  my  duty  better  in 
fulfilling  your  wishes  than  in  staying  at  home. 

First  and  best,  I  have  been  celebrating  the  Holy  Eucharist  for 
my  dear  mother's  soul ;  and  many  of  our  communicants,  to  whom 
I  mentioned  it  in  the  class  last  night,  assisted  at  the  blessed 
sacrifice  and  joined  with  me. 

It  is  indeed  a  continual  growing  comfort  to  feel  thus  able  to 
hold  communion  with  her  in  her  happy  state  of  rest  and  peace, 
and  to  be  permitted  to  do  that  here  which  may  bring  light  and 
refreshment  to  her  dwelling  in  paradise. 

I  cannot  help  thinking  how  happy  you  are  in  being  able  thus 
to  realize  her  happiness,  and  to  know  how  much  better  it  is  for  you 
that  she  is  gone  first,  where  you  may  so  soon  meet  her  again,  never 
more  to  be  separated.  Ever  since  my  communion  on  the  day 
after  her  death,  I  have  been  able  to  think  and  speak  of  her 
without  any  breaking  down,  for  it  seems  selfish  to  mourn  for  her 
great  happiness. 

I  know  it  is  more  difficult  for  you,  for  you  have  not  the  same 
active  work  to  distract  your  mind,  but  I  thank  God  that  you  have 
been  so  wonderfully  supported,  and  I  pray  that  the  same  merciful 
Arm  will  be  with  you  still. 

And  now,  my  dear  father,  let  me  wish  you  many  happy  returns 
of  the  23rd.  I  pray  sincerely  that  God  may  long  spare  you  to  uSf 
and  that  we  may  be  able  to  comfort  your  widowed  old  age. 

I  wish  I  was  more  able  to  do  so,  and  that  I  could  offer  yots 


276  CHARLES  LOWDER. 

a  home  here,  but  that  is  an  idle  thought  at  present.  Be  sure  it 
will  be  your  children's  great  comfort  to  see  you  happy,  and  I 
ti^ust  that  when  we  must  lose  you,  we  may  have  the  truest 
assurance  of  being  all  re-united  in  a  better  world. » 

Your  dutiful  and  affectionate  son, 

Charles. 

In  August  of  this  year  Father  Lowder  went  abroad  with 
Mr.  Body,  going  over  the  battlefields  of  the  Franco-German 
war,  and  from  Metz  to  the  Tyrol.  The  following  letter 
contains  his  first  impressions  of  the  "  Passions-Spiel "  : — 

Ober-Ammergau,  August  14,  1871. 
It  is  very  diiiicult  for  me  to  write  just  after  coming  from  the 
Passion  Play,  for  it  is  like  coming  out  of  a  Retreat,  with  one's 
feelings  worked  up  to  the  very  highest  pitch,  and  so  very  difficult 
to  return  to  one's  ordinary  state.  I  will  therefore  defer  saying 
anything  more  about  it  now  than  that  I  was  more  than  delighted ; 
indeed,  it  far  succeeded  my  anticipations,  and  I  trust  I  shall 
always  be  better  for  having  witnessed  it. 

From  Ober-Ammergau  he  went  over  much  of  the 
country  where  he  spent  his  last  days  ;  first  to  Innspruck 
by  Partenkirchen,  and  then  to  Hofgarten  and  Krimmel, 
where  he  writes  of  "greatly  enjoying  the  waterfalls,  which 
are  considered  the  finest  in  Europe."  From  thence  lie 
wrote  : — 

We  descended  upon  a  curious  old  chapel  and  our  resting- 
place  for  the  night.  It  was  a  very  poor  inn,  of  the  roughest  and 
most  peculiar  character,  whence  we  were  quite  ready  to  start  at 
6.30,  making  our  way  over  some  steep  glaciers  and  some  splendid 
mountain  scenery  of  a  very  wild  description  to  Preyratten.  We 
sent  Body  with  two  guides  by  a  rather  easier  road  for  part  of  the 
way,  meeting  again  in  the  course  of  an  hour  or  two.    The  flowers 


ASCENT  OF  rilE  GROSS  GLOCKNER. 


277 


as  we  descended,  were  mostly  lovely.  At  Preyratten  Parker  and 
myself  had  thought  of  ascending  the  Gross  Venediger,  a  very 
beautiful  snow  mountain;  but  the  weather  was  not  propitious,  so, 
after  waiting  till  the  afternoon  we  walked  on  to  Windisch  Matrei. 

Father  Lowder  never  forgot  his  wish  of  ascending  the 
Gross  Venediger  ;  it  was  his  having  missed  it  this  year 
that  made  him  so  bent  upon  accomplishing  it  in  1880  that 
he  attempted  it  when  unfit  for  the  fatigue.  He  writes  to 
his  sister  : — 

Heiligenblut,  August  27,  187 1. 
We  found  a  capital  inn  at  Windisch  Matrei,  but  left  it  about 
10.30  for  a  beautiful  mountain  walk  to  Kals,  where  we  arrived 
about  three,  having  come  in  view  of  the  great  object  of  my  am- 
bition, i.e.  the  Gross  Glockner.  It  is  a  splendid  mountain,  not 
quite  so  high  as  the  Orteler,  yet  next  to  that  the  highest  in 
Austria.  We  got  our  dinner  at  Kals,  arranged  with  guides  for 
Parker  and  myself,  as  well  as  for  Body,  who  went  the  next  day  by 
the  ordinary  route  to  Heiligenblut.  P.  and  I  had  three  guides,  and 
about  5  p.m.  we  started  for  our  night's  quarters,  some  huts  about 
four  or  five  hours'  walk  up  the  mountain.  ...  As  a  good  remedy 
for  my  weakness  of  ankles,  which  I  have  found  very  efficacious,  I 
bathed  them  in  a  snow  bath,  making  a  hole  in  the  snow,  and 
covering  them  over  as  long  as  I  could  bear  it. 

Then  follows  an  account  of  the  ascent : — 

Near  the  summit  we  had  to  be  drawn  up  a  great  part  of  the 
way  by  the  guides.  At  every  stage  we  caught  sight  of  the  tints  of 
the  horizon  deepening  and  lighting  up  the  range  of  mountains 
which  lay  at  our  feet,  and  giving  us  a  foretaste  of  the  glorious 
view  which  awaited  us.  We  reached  the  summit  at  six,  when  the 
sun  was  already  above  the  horizon,  and  displaying  clearly  the 
most  distant  peaks.    It  was  indeed  a  sight  never  to  be  forgotten. 


2/8 


CHARLES  LOVVDER. 


One  neighbouring  range,  the  Gross  Venediger,  lay  in  all  its  snow- 
white  beauty  close  beneath  us;  others  at  great  distances.  The 
Adamello,  the  Bemina,  the  Orteler,  grand  ranges  in  themselves, 
all  clear  and  distinct.  We  could  not  have  had  a  more  glorious 
view. 

From  Heiligenblut  he  writes  : — 

We  have  enjoyed  ourselves  much  in  this  beautiful  place,  and 
the  more  that  our  room  is  in  full  view  of  the  Gross  Glockner,  so 
that  we  can  watch  all  the  various  lights  and  shadows  on  the  peak. 
Strictly  speaking,  there  are  two  peaks :  one,  the  higher,  which  is 
black  and  jagged ;  the  other,  the  lower,  covered  with  snow.  This 
stands  in  front  of  the  higher  one  in  our  view,  and  the  two  seem 
but  one  peak.  It  is  the  passage  between  the  two  peaks  which 
constitutes  the  chief  difficulty  of  the  ascent,  as  there  is  a  very 
narrow  ridge  between  them 

A  delightful  time  of  wandering  among  the  Glockner 
glaciers  followed,  in  company  with  Mr.  Body  and  Mr. 
Parker.  Father  Lowder  wrote  a  glowing  account  of  ascend- 
ing three  peaks  in  one  day,  the  Barenkopf,  the  Glockerin, 
and  the  Wiesbachhorn,  all  over  eleven  thousand  feet 
high. 

The  ascents  and  descents  were  very  steep,  almost  entirely  on 
snow.  We  had  very  good  guides,  but  without  our  ice  crampons 
and  the  ropes  we  could  not  have  done  it.  In  descending  each 
step  had  to  be  dug  in  carefully,  but  the  views  repaid  our  labours, 
for  they  gave  us  a  beautiful  idea  of  the  extent  of  the  snow  and  ice 
regions  around  the  Glockner,  one  peak  rising  close  to  the  other, 
and  glacier  meeting  glacier.  ...  It  was  a  hard  day's  work,  for  we 
did  not  get  off  the  ice  till  4  p.m.,  having  been  thirteen  hours  on 
snow  without  taking  off  our  crampons  except  for  the  last  hour, 
and  being  roped  all  day.    We  returned  to  the  hut  about  5  p.m. 


THE  DOLOMITES. 


279 


and  were  very  glad  to  get  some  tea  and  an  hour  or  more  rest 
before  we  started  back  for  Heiligenblut,  ...  Of  course  I  feel 
rather  tired  to-day,  but  I  shall  get  a  rest  till  Monday,  when  we  are 
off  to  Cortina. 

The  last  part  of  his  holiday,  until  the  middle  of  Sep- 
tember, was  spent  in  wanderings  among  the  Dolomite 
mountains — "  the  grandest,  the  most  fantastic,  and  yet 
most  awful  forms."  Descending  into  the  Grodner  Thai,  he 
writes,  "  we  were  overtaken  by  a  grand  thunderstorm. 
At  one  point  there  was  a  double  rainbow,  spanning  the 
mountains  and  descending  on  one  side  to  some  fir  slopes, 
which  was  the  grandest  sight  of  its  kind  I  ever  sa-.v." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


THE  MISSIONER'S  DAILY  LIFE. 

1872,  1873. 

"  To  keep  unsteady  Nature  to  her  Law, 
And  the  low  world  in  measured  motion  draw 
After  the  heavenly  tune  which  none  can  hear 
Of  human  mould,  with  gross  unpurged  ear. " 

The  chief  events  of  Father  Lowder's  Mission  in  1872  were 
the  opening  of  the  new  school  buildings  by  the  Bishop  in 
January;  a. parish  Mission  held  before  Lent  by  the  Rev. 
R.  A.  J.  Suckling  and  the  Rev.  A.  W.  Mills;  and  the 
opening  of  a  little  hostel  in  Calvert  Street  for  old  people 
who  had  no  other  refuge  but  the  workhouse. 

The  following  reminiscences  of  the  parish  Mission  are 
from  a  layman  who  took  part  in  it : — 

I  remember  one  night  we  went  out  with  the  choir  to  sing 
hymns  in  procession  and  preach  at  the  corners  of  the  streets, 
before  the  eight  o'clock  Mission  service.  I  was  walking  next  to 
one  of  the  choirmen.  We  went  through  one  street,  I  do  not 
know  its  name.  There  were  a  good  many  people  standing  about 
on  the  pavement  and  looking  out  of  the  windows,  but  we  passed 
through  singing  without  any  disturbance.  When  we  got  through, 
the  choirman  said  to  me,  "  If  we  had  attempted  that  ten  years 
ago,  we  should  half  of  us  have  had  our  heads  broken,  and  as 
likely  as  not  some  of  us  would  have  been  killed."  .  .  .  One 


ILLNESS  OF  HIS  SISTER. 


281 


night,  when  the  service  was  nearly  over,  I  went  in,  and  seeing  a 
very  rough  looking  working-man  in  his  working-clothes,  just  as  he 
had  come  from  his  late  work,  sitting  on  a  bench  near  the  door, 
I  went  and  sat  beside  him,  intending  to  try  to  get  him  to  come 
to  the  after  meeting  in  the  room  opposite,  where  Mr.  Mills  was 
to  give  an  address,  thinking  that  we  might  try  to  convert  him. 
But  when  the  sermon  was  over,  to  my  astonishment  my  friend 
dropped  down  on  his  knees  on  the  floor  beside  me,  and  began 
to  sing  the  Litany  in  a  style  which  showed  me  it  was  not  the 
first  time  he  had  sung  it.  I  had  a  talk  with  him  afterwards,  and 
found  he  was  a  regular  communicant  at  the  church,  and  was  soon 
satisfied  that  I  was  much  more  likely  to  learn  from  him  than  to 
teach  him. 

His  sister  K  ,  who  possessed  much  of  his  own  mis- 
sionary spirit,  had  a  slight  paralytic  seizure  on  April  10. 
She  had  overtaxed  her  strength,  which  she  thought  equal  to 
any  exertion.  The  fatigue  of  nursing  during  her  mother's 
illness  had  told  on  her,  combined  with  the  wear  of  daily 
teaching  ;  but,  besides  her  home  duties,  she  spent  time 
and  strengtli  on  the  rough  factory  girls  at  Frome,  over 
whom  she  had  a  wonderful  influence,  teaching  them  both 
on  Sundays  and  week  days,  preparing  them  for  Confirma- 
tion, and  working  in  the  district. 

Her  brother  writes  to  her  on  hearing  of  her  illness  : — 

St.  Teter's  Vicarage,  April  17,  1872. 

I  am  very  sorry  indeed  to  hear  of  the  serious  attack  which  you 
have  had,  but  I  sincerely  hope  that  by  God's  help  you  may  recover 
from  it  and  get  strong  again.  You  must,  however,  take  entire 
rest  of  mind  and  body,  which  I  hope  you  will  be  able  to  do. 

Such  an  attack  must  be  a  warning  to  us  all,  for  I  quite  feel  I 
might  be  taken  in  the  same  way.  Let  us  pray  together  that  we 
may  be  ready  whenever  and  however  v,  e  may  be  summoned,  and 
if  we  have  done  our  work,  though  we  must  be  sensible  how  imper- 


282 


CHARLES  LOWDER, 


fectly,  yet  done  our  poor  best,  we  need  not  fear  if  we  are  found  in 
Him. 

I  ought  to  have  written  before  to  have  thanked  you  for  your 
Easter  letter,  but  I  have  not  yet  recovered  from  my  work  in  Lent, 
and  must  try  to  get  a  week's  rest. 

Yesterday  and  the  day  before  I  was  engaged  on  a  committee 
for  six  or  seven  hours  at  a  stretch. 

Your  very  affectionate  brother, 

Charles. 

He  spent  part  of  his  August  holiday  at  Tenby  with 
this  sister,  and  made  a  short  visit  with  his  sister  Mary  to 
the  Lakes  of  Killarney  and  Glengariff,  going  and  returning 
by  Milford  Haven  and  Cork.  They  took  charge  of  a  little 
stranger  girl  on  their  return  journey,  and  Miss  Lowder 
writes  of  Charles'  tender  care  for  the  child,  who  was  very 
ill ;  nursing  her,  and  attending  to  her  in  every  way,  until  he 
gave  her  up  to  her  friends. 

In  the  end  of  1872  Father  Lowder  had  the  sorrow  of 
losing,  after  a  sharp,  sudden  illness,  his  faithful  friend  and 
curate,  the  Rev.  F.  K.  Statham.  He  had  worked  at  St. 
Peter's  for  five  years,  and  was  the  only  one  who  had  stood 
firm  when,  in  1868,  the  other  curates  had  Romanized.  His 
place  was  filled  by  the  Rev.  J,  W.  Biscoe,  though  not  for 
long,  as  in  the  end  of  1873  the  latter  joined  the  Evangelist 
Fathers  at  Cowley,  and  left  England  for  the  Bombay 
Mission.  In  the  summer  of  1873  Mr.  Biscoe  was  Father 
Lowder's  companion  during  a  tour  in  the  Chamounix  dis- 
trict and  at  the  Italian  lakes.  On  his  way  home  in  Sep- 
tember Father  Lowder  attended  the  Old  Catholic  Congress. 
"  I  was  much  interested,"  he  wrote  to  his  sister, "  by  all  I  saw 
and  heard,  though  not  in  all  things  favourably  impressed  " 


SUNDAY  AT  ST.  PETER'S. 


283 


"  St.  George's  Mission  "  had  now,  as  we  have  seen,  grown 
into  St.  Peter's  parish.  Father  Lowder's  letters  are  dated, 
for  the  last  ten  years  of  his  life,  from  "  St.  Peter's  Vicarage." 
But  the  "  Vicarage  "  was  the  only  necessary  parochial  insti- 
tution which  had  been  neglected.  It  was,  and  still  remains, 
the  old  Mission  House  in  Calvert  Street,  taken  by  Mr.  King 
in  1856. 

What  his  daily  life  was  henceforth  will  best  be  gathered 
from  Mr.  Linklater's  graphic  narrative  : — 

Let  us  take  a  Sunday  first.  The  first  celebration  is  at  seven 
o'clock.  A  number  of  communicants,  principally  men,  will  be  found 
kneeling  reverently  in  the  little  side  chapel.  The  solemnity  of  the 
service ;  the  silent  grandeur  of  the  church,  as  on  a  dark  winter's 
morning  its  beautiful  proportions  seem  magnified  in  the  uncertain 
glimmer  of  the  altar  tapers  ;  the  little  group  of  worshippers  kneel- 
ing, with  quickened  hearts,  before  the  Lord ;  the  reverent  gestures 
of  the  priest,  pleading  before  God  the  merits  of  the  all-atoning 
sacrifice  of  Christ,  were  the  more  touching  when  we  knew  that  all 
around,  for  miles  and  miles,  poor  degraded  souls  were  sleeping  off 
the  debauchery  of  sin. 

There  is  a  second  celebration  at  eight,  which  Mr.  Lowder 
generally  took,  and  at  which  the  body  of  the  church  is  fairly  filled, 
and  a  third  at  nine.  The  clergy  then  get  some  breakfast,  and  at  a 
quarter  past  ten  Matins  is  sung.  The  High  Celebration  follows 
immediately  after  Matins,  at  eleven  o'clock. 

This  is  the  great  service  of  the  day,  and  the  people  come  pour- 
ing in.  When  clergy  complain  that  they  can't  get  congregations 
in  East  London  churches,  I  answer,  let  them  give  the  people 
something  to  come  for,  and  have  faith  in  our  Lord's  promise,  even 
in  its  secondary  sense  :  "  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw 
all  men  unto  Me."  The  people  come  to  St.  Peter's,  not  because 
the  ritual  is  beautiful  and  the  singing  most  soul-stirring,  but  that 
they  may  assist  in  the  great  priestly  act  of  the  Church,  the  "  lifting 


284 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


up  "  of  Christ  to  the  Father,  the  "  showing  forth  His  death"  until 
He  comes. 

I  shall  not  attempt  any  description  of  the  majestic  beauty  of 
this  service.  I  really  do  not  think  there  is  a  more  beautiful  or 
more  reverent  service  in  Christendom.  The  charm  to  me  has 
always  been  that  it  is  real.  The  boys  are  our  own  boys,  the  men 
are  our  own  men ;  they  all  come  for  love,  and  not  for  money.  It 
always  stirred  my  heart  to  look  down  the  ranks  of  noble  and 
serious-faced  men  who  sing  before  the  Lord  in  the  choir  of  St. 
Peter's.  We  knew  that  the  words  came  really  from  their  hearts, 
and  that  their  daily  lives  were  in  harmony  with  their  sacred  office. 
It  makes  all  the  difference  in  the  spiritual  life  of  a  parish  when  the 
choir,  who  stand  nearest  the  Lord's  altar-throne,  and  speak  to  Him 
the  devotions  of  the  congregation,  are  worthy  to  be  the  body- 
guard of  Christ,  and  are  as  pure  in  heart  as  the  white  surplice  they 
assume. 

Mr.  Lowder  was  a  thorough  Church  of  England  man.  He 
was  not  a  Ritualist  at  all  in  the  modern  sense  of  the  word,  after 
the  gushing,  effeminate,  sentimental  manner  of  young  shop-boys, 
or  those  who  simply  ape  the  ways  of  Rome.  He  had  glorious 
ritual  in  his  church  because  he  thought  the  service  of  God  could 
not  be  too  magnifical.  He  considered  that  it  was  as  much  his  duty 
as  parish  priest  to  put  before  the  eyes  of  his  people  the  pattern  o\ 
the  worship  in  Heaven,  as  it  was  his  duty  to  preach  the  Gospel. 
He  felt  that  he  had  no  more  right  to  alter  the  features  of  the 
heavenly  worship,  as  represented  in  the  earthly  service,  than  he 
had  to  alter  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints.  He  understood 
that  those  features  are  made  known  to  us  by  our  Lord's  com- 
mand, "  Do  this,"  by  the  revelation  of  heavenly  worship  to  St. 
John,  and  by  the  testimony  of  the  unbroken  custom  of  the  Christian 
Church.  In  a  word,  he  believed  that  the  Holy  Eucharist  is  the 
divinely  appointed  act  of  worship  which  we  are  commanded  to  do 
on  earth  as  it  is  done  by  our  High  Priest  in  heaven,  pleading 
before  God  the  merits  of  the  all-sufficient  sacrifice  of  Christ. 

And  in  bringing  back  the  Holy  Eucharist  to  its  lost  position, 


CLASS  FOR  LADS. 


285 


*  as  the  fount  and  centre  of  all  the  Church's  worship,  and  in  restoring 
.  the  old  Christian  mode  of  celebrating  the  most  holy  mysteries, 
Mr.  Lowder,  as  I  have  said  before,  was  acting  within  the  then 
acknowledged  liberties  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  according 
to  the  express  order  of  the  Prayer-book,  as  at  that  time  interpreted 
even  bv  the  Privy  Council. 

After  the  midday  service  we,  the  clergy,  have  an  hour's  rest  for 
dinner.  Not  always  an  hour's  rest,  for  very  often  in  the  spring- 
time one  or  other  of  us  (mostly  one)  has  to  rush  off  with  Con- 
firmation candidates  to  the  particular  church  in  London  where,  on 
that  Sunday,  the  Confirmation  is  held.  Then,  as  we  are  still  sitting 
at  the  table,  a  rush  and  scampering  of  feet  is  heard  up  the  steps, 
the  hall  door  is  burst  open,  and  the  noisy  tide  passes  (as  they  think 
quietly)  into  the  room  on  the  floor  above.  This  is  the  big  lads' 
Sunday  class,  and  the  race  is  to  get  the  most  comfortable  seats 
either  side  of  the  fire. 

It  was  my  privilege  and  happiness  to  teach  them,  and  the  class 
was  held  in  my  room — one's  only  room  for  day  and  night — which 
I  had  made  as  pretty  and  attractive  as  possible  with  pictures  and 
books  and  curiosities.  A  friend  had  given  me  a  pair  of  splendid 
Indian  idols,  which  I  stuck  up  in  suitable  positions,  and  which,  to 
my  mind,  were  quite  in  keeping  with  the  other  oddities  gathered 
from  all  corners  of  the  world.  But  these  idols  produced  a  painful 
impression  on  my  lads'  minds ;  the  first  time  they  saw  them  they 
asked  me  straight  out  if  I  had  changed  my  reUgion. 

I  found  I  had  to  be  on  the  spot  as  soon  almost  as  the  first 
arrival,  for  although  they  were  as  honest  as  daylight,  and  I  could 
trust  them  with  any  valuables,  yet  they  developed  an  unexpected 
taste  for  medicine.  My  physic-bottles  and  pill-boxes  were 
emptied.  At  last  I  made  them  share  and  share  alike,  and  as  they 
sat  in  a  great  circle  with  opened  mouths,  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
shying  my  poor  pills  down  their  throats  one  by  one.  I  never 
heard  that  they  were  the  better  or  the  worse  for  them.  This 
taste  for  medicine  is  not  general  in  the  parish,  for  I  came 
across  a  man  who  had  never  taken  physic  in  his  life.    Once  he 


286 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


was  very  ill  and  near  to  die,  and,  urged  by  anxious  friends,  had 
actually  consulted  a  doctor.  But  when  it  came  to  swallowing  the 
stuff  his  heart  failed  him,  so  he  made  his  wife  take  it  (that  it 
shouldn't  be  wasted),  and  he  recovered. 

It  was  really  the  most  delightful  and  encouraging  work  to  teach 
this  class  of  big  lads.  Their  ages  ran  from  fourteen  to  twenty-two. 
The  result  of  religious  teaching  and  humanizing  influence  could 
almost  be  seen  week  by  week.  Very  often  a  dear  friend  of  Mr. 
Lowder's  and  mine,  an  Arab  prince,  the  Hneal  descendant  of 
Mahomet,  and  the  first  of  his  race  to  be  a  Christian,  used  to  be 
present  at  this  instruction.  He  excited  the  deepest  interest  in  the 
boys.  Their  knowledge  of  modern  dynasties  was  vague,  and  they 
generally  spoke  of  him  as  the  "young  Z^'emperor,"  but  if  they 
fancied  that  I  was  deficient  in  the  respect  and  consideration  due 
to  him  they  used  to  be  very  angry  and  lecture  me  most  seriously 
afterwards. 

Well,  it  was  a  lovely  sight,  these  poor  boys  and  the  rich 
Eastern,  all  kneeling  humbly,  side  by  side,  saying  the  collect 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  "  Prevent  us,  O  Lord." 

During  lesson  time  my  boys  were  most  orderly  and  serious. 
It  was  my  compact  with  them  that  if  they  were  good  and  attentive 
at  lessons  I  would  afterwards  tell  them  a  story,  or  show  them 
pictures ;  the  bribe  was  hardly  necessary,  for  I  never  had  a  more 
interesting  or  appreciative  audience.  Having  once  seen  the 
lighting  up  of  the  soul  in  their  rapt  gaze  and  expressive  faces, 
it  makes  one  rather  exacting  in  addressing  indifferent  or  matter-of- 
fact  congregations  elsewhere. 

Ah !  those  were  dear  and  happy  times.  It  made  up  for  all  the 
trials  of  one's  life  and  the  dreary  disappointing  work  around,  to 
feel  the  glow  of  these  generous  young  hearts,  as  they  sheltered 
round  one  and  supported  one  by  their  enthusiastic  love.  The  boys 
used  to  call  my  room  their  "haven,"  and  often  through  the  week 
have  they  counted  the  hours  till  Sunday  should  come  round  again. 

The  story-telling  was  very  exacting  work,  and  required  careful 
preparation.    Old  stories  had  to  be  hunted  out  and  furnished  with 


GUILD  MEETINGS. 


287 


a  new  dress.  The  story  had  to  be  told,  not  read.  They  were  de- 
lighted with  my  version  of  "  Les  Miserables,"  especially  with  the 
character  of  the  grand  old  Bishop.  They  got  perfectly  frantic,  I 
remember,  as  I  dilated  on  the  confused  mind  of  the  poor  peasant, 
who  was  so  much  like  the  convict  that  he  was  taken  for  him,  and 
who  could  only  reiterate  over  and  over  again  his  name  and  small 
possessions  as  a  proof  of  his  identity.  They  begged  and  implored 
me  to  stop  :  "  Oh,  do  stop,  sir ;  I  feel  just  like  that."  But  I  was 
most  astonished  at  what  I  considered  a  daring  experiment,  the 
reading  to  them  "  Sintram."  It  made  the  most  wonderful  im- 
pression on  them.  They  wrought  it  into  their  own  lives.  They 
called  the  different  localities  of  the  parish  by  the  names  in  the 
book.  They  literally  hungered  for  the  next  week's  portion.  I 
believe  that  nothing  I  have  ever  read  or  said  to  them  has  affected 
them  so  lastingly  as  this. 

I  must  be  forgiven  for  speaking  so  much  of  my  own  share  of 
the  work.  It  seems  easier  in  this  way  to  describe  what  an  East 
End  Sunday  class  is  like.  The  same  sort  of  thing  was  going  on  in 
many  other  classes  at  the  same  time.  These  other  classes  were, 
however,  held  in  the  school ;  mine  was  held  in  the  Clergy  House 
to  save  the  pride  of  these  "young  men." 

At  half-past  three  we  all  troop  off  to  church  for  the  public 
catechizing.  It  is  a  glorious  sight  to  see  St.  Peter's  crammed  with 
children,  the  girls  on  one  side,  the  boys  on  the  other — wonderfully 
interesting  and  intelligent  children,  even  the  smallest  dots  looking 
up  with  a  beaming  trusting  smile  as  Mr.  Lowder,  or  the  clergy,  or 
the  teachers  pass  by.  Mr.  Lowder  always  catechized,  and  often 
elicited  most  original  answers.  On  great  festivals  the  children 
marched  in  procession  round  the  church,  singing  hymns;  each 
school  headed  with  its  banner. 

After  this  service  the  various  guild  meetings  are  held — either 
the  Guild  of  the  Holy  Child  for  lads,  or  the  Guild  of  St  Katherine 
for  young  women,  or  the  Guild  of  St.  Agatha's,  one  section  of 
which  assembled  every  Sunday. 

At  half-past  five  we  got  some  tea,  six  of  the  choir-boys  by 


288 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


turns  honouring  us  with  their  presence.  They,  poor  children, 
consider  this  to  be  a  great  treat,  and  after  tea  they  have  a  romp  in 
the  room  or  in  the  yard. 

At  half-past  six  the  Mission  service  at  St.  Agatha's  began,  and 
at  seven  Evensong  is  sung  at  St.  Peter's.  The  church  is  generally 
quite  full  at  this  hour,  sometimes  literally  crammed.  The  service 
is  very  bright  and  hearty,  and  all  the  fittings  of  the  chancel  and 
sanctuary  are  good  and  beautiful,  and  give  an  air  of  comfort 
and  dignity,  which  is  not  the  least  important  lesson  for  the  poor 
people  to  take  back  to  their  squalid  homes.  Mr.  Lowder  always 
preached  at  this  service.  It  was  very  beautiful  to  see  this  large 
congregation  listening  most  intently  to  his  teaching. 

After  service  there  was  very  often  a  Bible  class,  for  which  the 
greater  part  of  the  congregation  stayed  behind.  Sometimes  we 
gave  them  no  chance  to  get  away,  but  the  class  was  begun  as  soon 
as  the  service  was  over,  and  thus  we  were  able  to  drive  well  honi'j 
different  lessons  of  Christian  faith  or  practice.  Last  summer, 
after  service,  we  had  outdoor  preaching  in  the  children's  pla)  - 
ground,  which  was  given  to  the  parish  by  Mr.  Robert  Loder  and 
the  readers  of  the  Standard  newspaper  at  a  cost  of  ;^i3oo. 

And  now  my  readers  will  say,  "  Well,  at  any  rate  the  day's 
work  is  done  at  last ! "  No,  we  have  not  done  yet.  Up  in  my 
room  there  is  another  gang  of  great  big  fellows — quite  a  different 
class — keeping  the  fire  warm,  as  they  say,  and  they  expect  me  to 
speak  to  them  as  freshly  as  if  one  were  only  beginning  the  day 
and  had  not  been  talking  almost  incessantly  since  7  a.m.  The 
compliment  of  their  coming,  and  the  great  opportunity  it  is, 
enables  one  to  dash  away,  and  when  it  is  getting  on  to  eleven  I 
tell  them  that  really  I  am  sorry  to  disturb  them,  but  I  must  point 
out  a  curious  architectural  feature  of  my  room  which  they  have  not 
noticed — the  door,  and  at  once  they  depart.  The  sofa  is  then 
turned  into  a  bed,  and  all  things  made  shipshape  for  the  night. 

Now,  just  consider  what  wear  and  tear  on  body  and  mind  sucli 
high-pressure  work  as  this  is,  and  how  it  must  have  told  on 
Mr.  Lowder  after  twenty-three  years  of  it.    He  was  fairly  worn  out. 


IVEEK-DAY  WORK. 


2S9 


P'or  a  long  time  he  had  to  live  in  the  country,  only  coming  up  for 
Sundays  and  special  days.  He  was  on  the  stretch  from  seven  in 
the  morning  until  ten  at  night,  and  had  to  put  as  much  heart  into 
the  last  half-hour's  work  as  at  the  start.  Indeed,  he  could  not  help 
it,  it  was  so  real  and  exciting.  And  week-day  work  was  harder 
and  later  than  even  Sunday. 

The  atmosphere  also  was  most  trying.  One  got  up  in  the 
morning  more  tired  than  when  one  went  to  bed.  The  normal 
condition  of  the  air  during  the  winter  months  was  pea-soup  fog. 
The  same  constant  gloom  and  depression  crushed  down  gradually 
the  most  buoyant  spirits.  At  least,  I  only  knev/  one  person  who 
was  able  to  rise,  Mark  Tapley  like,  superior  to  it.  In  front  of 
our  house,  on  the  other  side  of  the  street,  was  a  large  candle  and 
soap  factory,  and  if  the  air  didn't  blow  that  way  it  blew  the  other, 
and  brought  to  us  the  sickening  odours  of  burnt  bones  from  the 
charcoal  factory  lower  down.  Behind  us  was  a  large  marine  store 
yard,  principally  convenient  for  airing  salvage  goods,  and  also  for 
airing  the  foulest  language.  I  have  had  to  expostulate  with  the 
men  from  my  window. 

I  can  see  Mr.  Lowder  in  his  room  below,  sitting  wearily,  in 
the  midst  of  all  these  discomforts  and  vexations,  waiting  and 
waiting  for  the  end.  I  have  often  been  startled  with  this  look  of 
waiting,  weary  waiting,  on  his  face,  when  I  have  entered  his  room 
to  speak  to  him. 

It  will  not  be  necessary  to  go  very  much  into  the  details  of  a 
week-day's  work.  The  services  began  a  quarter  of  an  hour  earlier 
than  on  Sunday.  The  first  celebration  was  at  6.45,  Matins  at 
7.30,  the  second  celebration  at  8.  We,  the  clergy,  then  had 
breakfast,  and  at  half-past  nine  were  all  distributed  in  the  various 
schools.  Mr.  Lowder  was  most  particular  about  school-work ;  and 
our  presence  at  prayers,  and  regular  religious  instruction  after- 
wards, helped  very  much  to  promote  punctuality  of  attendance, 
and  to  give  a  high  tone  to  the  children.  I  used  to  enjoy  my  class 
very  much — the  first  class  of  the  boys'  school,  bright  charming 
little  boys,  grateful  for  our  care,  and  so  affectionate, 

u 


290 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


After  morning  school  we  tried  to  get  a  couple  of  hours  for 
private  reading.  But  this  was  most  difficult  to  manage,  for  people 
used  to  call  all  through  the  morning  for  all  sorts  of  things.  I 
fancy  Mr.  Lowder  stuck  to  this  quiet  time  better  than  any  of  us. 
But  that  is  not  saying  much,  for  in  the  exciting  times  in  which  he 
lived,  if  there  was  not  some  special  distraction  in  the  parish,  he 
found  it  often  in  the  duties  of  the  various  religious  societies  of 
which  he  was  an  active  member. 

At  one  o'clock  we  dined.  In  winter  time  we  used  to  give 
dinners  to  about  150  poor  children  two  or  three  times  a  week. 
A  number  of  gentlemen  in  the  West  End  subscribed  amongst 
themselves  for  this  most  useful  charity,  and  many  parishes  in  the 
east  of  London  are  each  winter  the  recipients  of  their  bounty. 
It  was  indeed  a  touching  sight,  these  poor  children,  many  of 
them  so  barely  clad,  some  of  them  shoeless,|and  looking,  oh,  so 
hungiy,  ranged  at  long  tables  in  our  iron  schoolroom,  Father 
Lowder  carrying  in  great  cans  of  steaming  stew,  and  going  from 
seat  to  seat,  with  his  grand  beaming  benevolent  face,  helping  the 
little  ones. 

The  afternoon  was  spent  in  visiting.  Of  late  years  Mr. 
Lowder's  health  was  so  shattered  that  he  did  not  take  a  regular 
district,  and  we  suspect  and  hope  that  he  often  had  a  quiet  nap 
after  dinner,  reserving  himself  for  evening  work,  which  in  all  such 
neighbourhoods  is  of  most  importance. 

District  visiting  is  dreadful  work  until  one's  blood  gets  hot 
It  requires  an  immense  effort  to  make  the  start,  and  with  a  heart 
heavy  with  responsibility  one  knocks  at  the  first  door.  But  the 
work  is  so  important  and  so  real,  that  soon  one  is  entirely 
absorbed  by  it.  It  is  astonishing  how  much  can  be  done  by  good, 
honest,  thorough  visiting.  As  it  is  the  fashion  nowadays  amongst 
a  certain  clique  of  the  younger  clergy  to  disparage  visiting,  and  to 
say  that  the  people  must  come  to  them,  and  that  the  priest's  place 
is  in  the  church  and  not  in  the  parish,  I  am  the  more  anxious  to 
give  my  testimony  as  to  the  value  of  house-to-house  visiting  in 
such  a  district  as  St.  Peter's.    Our  work  was  entirely  done  by 


TERRORS  BY  NIGHT. 


291 


visiting.  We  made  friends  with  the  people  in  their  own  homes, 
and  thus  got  them  to  attend  the  services  of  the  Church  :  if  we 
had  worked  on  the  other  principle,  St.  George's  Mission  might  just 
as  well  have  remained  at  the  West  End.  I  have  no  patience  with 
those  who  make  a  ridiculous  theory  the  cloak  for  their  own  in- 
competence or  laziness.  Our  Blessed  Lord  chose  not  angels,  but 
men  as  His  ministers,  in  spite  of  their  imperfections  and  unworthi- 
ness,  that  by  means  of  human  sympathy  men  might  win  an  entrance 
into  sinners'  hearts  for  the  Divine  love.  Besides,  His  own  example 
is  our  best  pattern  in  all  true  missionary  work. 

There  was  no  difficulty  in  effecting  an  entrance  into  houses — 
the  people  were  only  too  glad  to  see  us.  Indeed,  the  complaint 
was  the  other  way ;  and  I  have  been  seriously  taken  to  task,  to 
my  face,  for  having  been  negligent  in  this  respect.  I  answered 
my  complainant,  "  Well,  if  you  don't  like  it,  go  and  live  in 

Mr.  's  district "  (one  of  my  brother  curates) ;  "  he'll  call  upon 

you  three  times  a  day."  The  woman  answered  she  thought  that 
would  be  too  much,  and  she'd  stay  where  she  was. 

We  had  thus  an  opportunity  of  getting  at  the  people  one  by 
one.  I  am  sure  that  we  have  wrestled  with  them,  and  pleaded 
a  thousand  times  more  eloquently,  thus  in  their  ruined  dens  and 
heart  to  heart,  than  ever  one  could  speak  to  a  congregation  in 
church.  An  afternoon's  visiting  was  no  idle  work,  and  we  came 
back  at  half-past  five,  thoroughly  exhausted.  But  now  the  day 
begins.  After  our  hurried  tea  the  Confirmation  classes  arrive. 
These  are  held  all  the  year  round :  many  of  our  candidates  have 
been  for  years  under  careful  training.  As  soon  as  the  classes  are 
over  we  disperse  either  to  the  night  school  in  winter  time,  or  to  the 
men's  club,  or  to  the  stringed-band  practice,  or  to  the  lads'  club,  or 
to  the  drum  and  fife  band  practice,  or  to  the  countless  other  duties 
which  crowd  in  upon  us. 

Evensong  is  sung  at  St.  Peter's  at  eight,  and  afterwards  we 
have  classes  again  in  our  respective  rooms  until  past  ten  at  night. 

To  bed,  but  not,  alas  !  to  sleep.  Terrors  by  night  disturb  the 
broken  slumbers  of  the  weary  priest.    Sometimes  he  is  able  to 


292  CHARLES  LOIVDER. 

catch  these  terrors  and  sometimes  not.  And  when  at  last  he  is 
faUing  wearily  to  rest,  all  chance  of  sleep  is  banished  by  the 
horrible  yells  and  shrieks  of  gangs  of  tipsy  revellers  who  "won't  go 
home  till  morning."  The  public-houses  are  closing,  and  a  popula- 
tion of  drunken  madmen  and  mad  women  turn  our  streets  into 
Pandemonium, 

About  a  third  of  the  population  of  St.  Peter's  parish  are  Irish, 
over  whom  we  have  no  control.  There  is  no  mistaking  the  brogue 
one  hears  in  these  midnight  revels.  It  is  astonishing  that  these 
people  cannot  either  smother  their  grievances  in  their  own  breast, 
or,  if  they  must  quarrel,  quarrel  within  doors.  But  no  !  the  first 
impulse  is  to  rush  out  into  the  street,  and  awaken  all  theechoes  of 
the  night  with  the  most  passionate  invectives,  the  fiercest  denunci- 
ations of  the  MTong.  Where  they  get  the  variety  of  epithets  from, 
the  selections  of  abuse,  is  a  wonder.  They  can  go  on  for  hours. 
I  fell  asleep  one  night  in  the  midst  of  an  angry  woman's  declamation 
in  a  court  near  our  house,  leaving  her  mistress  of  the  night :  I 
awoke  in  a  couple  of  hours,  and  she  was  still  as  fresh  and  loud 
and  eloquent  as  ever. 

I  once  had  the  satisfaction  of  quieting  one  of  these  viragoes. 
I  went  up  to  her  through  the  crowd,  and  quietly  asked  her  why 
she  was  content  to  amuse  these  people  and  not  charge  them  any- 
thing. She  answered,  "  I  am  not  amusing  them."  "  Yes,"  I 
answered,  "  you  are  :  just  look  at  their  faces."  It  was  lovely  to 
see  her  look  of  astonishment  when  her  eye  swept  the  crowd,  and 
she  saw  a  broad  grin  on  all  their  faces.  She  was  crushed,  and 
went  away  quietly. 

But  I  did  this  once  too  often.  I  went  up  to  a  woman  in  my 
district  who  was  haranguing  a  crowd  from  her  doorstep  :  I  need 
not  say  she  was  Irish.  I  begged  her  to  go  indoors.  She  struck 
me  as  hard  as  she  could  all  down  my  face.  I  was  so  astonished 
that  I  did  not  know  what  to  do  :  I  had  never  been  struck  before 
in  all  the  many  fights  I  had  stopped ;  besides,  what  could  one  do 
to  a  woman  ?  So  I  stayed  there,  and  she  struck  me  again.  Then 
some  of  my  own  people  dragged  me  away.    The  next  morning  I 


SUMMER  EXCURSIONS. 


293 


was  going  to  communicate  a  sick  person  in  that  same  street,  when 
a  man  passed  me  who  had  seen  the  fracas,  and  taking  his  pipe 
out  of  his  mouth  he  scanned  my  face  and  said,  "  Why,  you  haven't 
got  a  black  eye,  after  all." 

I  have  interwoven  the  curates'  work  in  this  account  of  Mr. 
Lowder's  ordinary  daily  duty,  because  it  was  really  part  of  his. 
He  organized  all,  and  took  an  interest  in  everybody  and  every- 
thing. And  never  had  curates  a  more  indulgent  or  trusting  Vicar, 
and  never  had  Vicar  (although  I  say  it  who  shouldn't)  a  more 
loyal  and  hard-working  set  of  curates  than  the  four  who,  for  many 
a  year,  formed  the  staff  at  St.  Peter's,  London  Docks. 

There  are  many  picturesque  groupings  in  which  we  might 
portray  him,  especially  in  his  dealings  with  the  young.  I  have 
often  seen  him  rowing  "  stroke  "  to  a  crew  of  rough  lads  in  a  boat 
that  at  one  time  belonged  to  the  St.  Agatha's  Mission.  And  from 
all  parts  of  the  river,  as  we  went  upwards  on  the  flood,  would  be 
heard  across  the  tide,  "  Hulloa,  Father  Lowder."  Not  chaff,  but 
good-natured,  honest  greeting.  Or  I  have  seen  his  tall  figure  in 
the  playground,  stormed  by  wee  children,  who  were  clustering 
round  him  for  skipping-ropes  or  balls. 

But  Father  Lowder  was  greatest  at  an  "  excursion,"  and  the 
untiring  activity,  unfailing  good  temper,  and  buoyant  heart  which 
sustained  him  through  the  day  were  wonderful.  Excursions  are 
delightful  things  for  the  children  and  the  poor  people  whose 
one  annual  holiday  it  is ;  but  an  excursion  is  no  joke  to  those 
who  have  to  manage  the  details  and  arrangements  of  it — trains, 
food,  weather,  and  counting.  I  have  heard  of  a  large  school 
in  Belgium  where  they  counted  the  boys  before  bathing  them 
in  the  sea,  and  they  counted  them  when  they  came  out,  and  there 
were  only  fotir  missing.  It  was  a  far  more  serious  matter  to  lose 
children,  as  we  always  did  on  these  excursions,  for  we  had  to  face 
the  angry  mothers  on  our  return  home.  Their  first  cry  when  we 
emerge  from  the  Tunnel  Station  is,  "  How  many  missing  ?  "  and  if 
we  truthfully  say  three,  or  whatever  number  it  may  be,  the  number 
becomes  thirty  before  it  is  passed  half  up  the  street.    Just  think 


294 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


what  it  is  to  run  the  gauntlet  of  a  population  of  angry  mothers 
under  such  circumstances.  All  the  return  we  get  for  our  hard 
day's  work  and  anxious  labour  is  that  we  are  looked  upon  as  kid- 
napping and  blood-thirsty  monsters.  It  may  be  as  well  to  state 
that  the  missing  children  generally  turn  up  the  next  day.  The 
little  rascals  lose  themselves  on  purpose.  Home  is  so  awful  to 
them  and  the  streets  so  glum,  that  when  they  see  the  free  woods, 
and  the  lovely  wild  flowers,  and  the  green  fields,  their  little  hearts 
break  out  with  an  intense  impulse  and  longing  for  freedom  to  run 
away  and  away,  anywhere  but  back  to  the  smells  and  horrors  and 
unkindness  of  home. 

In  the  summer  time,  as  a  reward  for  good  conduct,  I  used  to 
take  them  to  Greenwich  Park  on  the  Saturday  holiday  now  and 
then — a  day  of  the  purest  joy  and  fairy  enchantment  to  these 
poor  children.  The  river  steamboat  takes  us  to  Greenwich  in  half 
an  hour,  and  the  children's  fare  is  only  twopence.  The  great 
attraction  of  the  picnic  is  the  presence  of  my  big  St.  Bernard  dog, 
whom  they  have  known  from  puppyhood,  and  who  knows  and 
loves  them  well.  Bernard  is  wild  with  delight  at  the  thought  of 
a  scamper  on  the  green  grass.  It  takes  six  or  eight  boys  to  hold 
his  chain,  and  even  these  he  whisks  down  the  street  and  round 
corners  at  an  alarming  rate.  He  is  well  known  on  the  steamboat 
pier,  and  greets  the  officials  in  a  patronizing  way,  with  proud  dis- 
tended tail  and  out-lapping  tongue,  marching  about  majestically, 
showing  off  his  beautiful  white  breast.  If  the  up-river  boat  comes 
first,  it  is  as  much  as  we  can  do  to  prevent  him  taking  his  passage 
in  her.  At  last  he  is  persuaded,  and  in  due  time  our  boat  is 
discovered  skimming  round  the  bend  of  the  river.  The  boys  rush 
on  board,  headed  of  course  by  Bernard.  Having  arrived  at 
GreenAvich,  we  make  straight  for  the  park,  and  settle  down  to 
games.  Bernard  likes  races  best,  although  he  takes  interest  in 
football,  having  just  stopped  a  football  match  and  demoralized  the 
combatants — young  naval  cadets — by  bounding  after  their  ball, 
scurrying  it  up  and  down,  and  daring  anybody  to  take  it  from  him. 

Greenwich  Hill  is  a  famous  place  for  races  \  the  boys  once 


CHILDREN'S  SPORTS. 


29s 


started  must  go  right  down  to  the  bottom,  whether  they  like  it  or 
no.  The  difficulty  is  to  find  a  winning-post.  On  one  occasion  I 
pressed  into  this  service,  without  consulting  him,  an  elderly  gentle- 
man with  an  umbrella  who  happened  to  be  passing  at  the  bottom 
of  the  hill.  It  was  some  time  before  he  became  aware  of  his 
interest  in  the  event.  But  when  at  last  he  awoke  to  the  fact  that 
this  human  avalanche  was  making  for  him  as  fast  as  their  little  feet 
could  carry  them,  and  found  that  he  could  not  dodge  them,  he 
turned  at  bay,  and,  brandishing  his  umbrella,  prepared  to  receive 
cavalry.  It  was  no  use  :  the  prize  was  the  first  who  touched  him, 
and  touch  him  they  did.  I  don't  know  what  version  of  the  affair 
he  gave  to  his  family  afterwards,  but  I  am  afraid  he  did  not  see 
the  joke,  and  I  took  care  not  to  go  near  enough  to  him  to  explain  it. 

The  clergy  used  to  divide  the  labour  of  the  expeditions.  Some- 
times Mr.  Lowder  took  the  first  class  of  the  girls'  school  to  Victoria 
Park,  or  to  Southwark  Park,  and  spent  a  "  good  time  "  with  them, 
amusing  them  with  all  sorts  of  games  in  which  he  joined.  Some- 
times the  other  cleigy  took  the  choir-boys  or  guilds.  But  of 
course  the  occasions  were  rare,  and  were  understood  to  be 
rewards  for  good  conduct.  I  am  quite  sure  that  these  little 
outings  did  great  good  in  enabling  us  to  win  the  confidence  and 
love  of  the  children,  and  also  in  giving  them  a  few  hours'  pure 
enjoyment,  and  healthy  exercise,  and  fresh  air.  Now  that  we 
have  our  playground  these  excursions  are  no  longer  necessary. 

The  passengers  on  the  steamboat  used  to  look  with  astonish- 
ment at  the  poor  little  toes  peeping  out  of  the  broken  boots,  and 
the  ragged  garments  in  which  many  of  these  merry-hearted  children 
are  arrayed. 

The  girls,  too,  we  sometimes  treated.  I  remember  a  poor 
child  exclaiming,  "  Lawks,  Sarah,  here's  a  flower  just  the  colour  of 
my  Sunday  ribbon." 

Mr.  Lowder  was  also  great  at  a  "  feed  " — the  annual  gathering 
of  our  poor  communicants,  or  a  parish  "  tea."  It  was  beautiful  to 
see  him  going  round  the  tables,  with  his  pleasant  smile  and  kindly 
greeting  cheering  up  the  poorest  hearts  who  form  the  rank  and 


296 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


file  of  our  Church  miUtant,  and  who  in  their  different  vocations  in 
life  bear  the  real  brunt  of  the  attack. 

Like  other  low-lying  districts  on  the  banks  of  the  Thames, 
our  parish  was  liable  to  be  inundated  whenever  the  tide  of  the 
river  exceeded  its  usual  height.  This  was  a  terrible  calamity  for 
the  poor  people.  Sometimes  at  the  dead  of  night  the  cry  would 
be  heard,  "  The  tide  is  rising,"  and  the  poor  things  had  to  move 
their  children  and  household  stuff  into  some  neighbour's  room 
upstairs  as  soon  as  possible.  On  one  occasion  the  people  suffered 
so  much  that  a  public  subscription  was  opened  for  them  at  the 
Mansion  House.  I  was  the  almoner  for  my  own  district,  and  I 
took  great  pains  in  going  round  to  each  house  to  see  with  my  own 
eyes  the  damage  done  by  the  water.  I  then  asked  each  proprietor 
to  name  the  sum  at  which  he  computed  the  loss.  Poor  things  ! 
they  were  most  moderate — to  be  sure,  they  had  nothing  much  to 
spoil — but  five  shillings  and  seven  and  sixpence  were  about  the 
sums  claimed.  Now  I  thought  by  this  means,  and  taking  their 
own  estimate,  I  had  effectually  barred  any  chance  of  a  row,  even 
in  the  Irish  quarters ;  but  when  I  distributed  the  relief  there  was 
quite  a  "  ruction  " — they  were  all  discontented.  I  said  to  one  of 
the  complainers,  "  My  good  v»'oman,  you  only  asked  for  five 
shillings,  and  I  have  given  you  what  you  asked  for."  "Well," 
she  answered,  "when  I  said  five  shillings  I  didn't  know  that 
Mrs.  Mullooney,  next  door,  was  going  to  claim  '  sivin  and  six.' " 

Since  I  wrote  tliis  there  has  been  another  serious  flood,  and  the 
curates  had  to  wade  through  the  water  to  take  food  to  the  school 
children,  who  were  imprisoned  by  the  tide  in  the  schools  all  day. 

I  will  finish  my  necessarily  imperfect  sketch  of  Father  Lowder's 
work  by  giving  a  short  account  of  certain  special  services  which 
characterize  St.  Peter's — the  "  Way  of  the  Cross "  on  Good 
Friday,  the  Rogation  procession  on  Rogation  Tuesday,  and  the 
midnight  service  on  New  Year's  Eve. 

The  Rogation  procession  was  purely  a  devotional  service. 
There  was  no  attempt  made  to  gather  a  congregation,  and  there 
were  no  addresses.    It  was  just  a  gi-and  solemn  act  of  prayer 


OPEN  AIR  SERVICES. 


297 


through  the  streets  of  the  parish,  supplicating  God's  blessing  on 
the  people  and  the  industries  of  the  place. 

We  left  the  church  at  five  in  the  morning,  the  choir  and  clergy 
in  surplices,  the  communicants  and  children  following  behind,  and 
then  sang  as  we  marched  along  first  the  Church  Litany,  and  then 
suitable  hymns  and  litanies.  The  white-robed  procession  wending 
its  way  through  the  narrow  streets  was  a  striking  sight  to  see,  the 
bright  banners  standing  out  in  bold  contrast  against  the  quaint 
smoke-stained  gables  of  the  houses,  and  the  plaintive  strains  of  the 
Litany,  now  swelling,  now  dying  away,  as  we  passed  along.  The 
windows  were  peopled  here  and  there  with  occupants  in  the 
oddest  deshabille.  At  certain  points  suitable  prayers  were  said — 
for  instance,  on  the  Dock  Bridge,  where  we  prayed  God  to  bless 
the  shipping  and  sailors.  The  service  ended  with  the  Celebration 
in  church. 

The  Good  Friday  procession  went  over  the  same  ground,  but 
was  of  an  entirely  different  character.  Here  there  were  no  sur- 
plices or  banners,  and  the  distinct  motive  was  to  gain  the  attention 
of  the  people,  and  bring  before  them  the  story  of  the  Cross,  and 
in  any  way — by  pictures,  by  hymns,  by  earnest  appeals — to  gain  the 
hearts  of  those  for  whom  Christ  died,  and  to  reach  those  who 
never  came  to  church. 

To  look  at  that  pale  earnest  face  of  Father  Lewder  was  in 
itself  a  powerful  appeal.  Year  after  year  they  had  heard  his 
invitation,  and  year  after  year  they  had  seen  him  age,  until  on  the 
last  Good  Friday  we  went  round  the  parish  they  saw  him  a  broken 
down  old  man — but  still  young  in  heart,  young  in  his  love  to 
Jesus,  young  in  the  intense  vigour  of  his  pathetic  appeal. 

One  can  hardly  believe  that  hearts  could  resist  such  faithful 
waiting  love  as  his.  Ah,  they  resisted  a  higher  Love,  and  it  all 
flashed  upon  them  when  too  late — when  his  dead  body  waited 
on  that  same  bridge  where  he  had  so  often  spoken,  and  the  long 
line  of  clergy  and  choristers  conducted  him  for  the  last  time,  a 
lifeless  corpse,  to  his  church  through  the  weeping  crowds  of 
mourning  poor. 


298 


CHARLES  LOWDER, 


The  fatigue  of  this  outdoor  preaching  was  very  great,  and  yet 
Mr.  Lowder  had  only  just  finished  preaching  for  three  hours  in 
church  when  he  started  for  the  streets.  He  had  also  been  present 
at  the  earlier  services  in  church,  and  taken  part  in  them.  He 
never  could  be  persuaded  to  save  himself. 

I  may  say  for  the  sake  of  those  who  wish  to  try  this  experiment 
that  we  used  some  large  coloured  lithographs  which  we  procured 
at  Tattersall's  in  Southampton  Row. 

On  the  last  night  of  each  old  year  a  special  effort  was  made  to 
gain  those  who  hitherto  had  resisted  every  attempt  to  convert 
them.  The  service  began  at  eleven,  and  consisted  of  prayers, 
hymns,  and  a  stirring  sermon.  The  people  then  knelt  down,  and 
Mr.  Lowder  read  aloud  questions  for  self-examination,  and  recited 
various  acts  of  contrition  and  prayers  for  pardon.  Just  before 
midnight,  a  solemn  silence  was  preserved ;  not  a  sound  could  be 
heard  but  the  beating  of  the  clock  as  it  measured  out  the  last  few 
moments  of  the  dying  year.  At  midnight  the  bell  was  tolled,  and 
then  the  people  all  sang  the  hymn  for  New  Year's  Day.  After  a 
short  sermon,  the  service  closed  with  the  Te  Deum. 

I  feel  that  my  account  has  drifted  into  a  narrative  of  Mr. 
Lowder's  work,  and  is  not  sufficiently  a  picture  of  Mr.  Lowder's 
self  But  that  is  just  the  character  of  the  man.  He  was  retiring 
and  modest,  and  lived  only  for  his  work.  Therefore  it  is  his  best 
praise  and  monument  that  he  is  known  by  his  work. 

His  life,  as  it  was  his,  he  lived  for  God.  His  real  history  is 
contained  in  his  long  private  prayers,  severe  fasts,  hard  self 
denying  life,  and  in  the  conflicts  of  soul,  'when  alone,  deserted, 
and  betrayed,  he  wrestled  -in  bitterest  agony  of  prayer  with  God, 
Who  thus  was  hardening  His  soldier  for  continued  warfare  to  the 
end,  and  preparing  him  for  the  grace  of  final  perseverance. 

But  this,  which  is  his  true  history,  is  written  only  in  the  Book 
of  Life.  We  knew  very  little  of  his  deepest  feelings — we  could 
only  see  the  shine  upon  his  face  which  told  that  he  had  been  in 
the  Mount  with  God. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

REST  FROM  WORK. 

1874-1878. 

"  Qui  sarai  tu  poco  tempo  silvano, 
E  sarai  meco,  senza  fine,  cive 
Di  quella  Roma  onde  Cristo  e  Romano." 

There  is  little  to  record  of  Father  Lowder's  work  from 
this  time,  for  in  the  eyes  of  men  it  was  the  same,  year  after 
year. 

If  the  stories  of  souls  could  be  told — of  the  rough  men 
who  from  enemies  became  his  stanchest  friends — there 
would  be  abundance  of  variety  and  interest,  but  for  obvious 
reasons  this  cannot  be  done.  "  I  have  been  very  tired, 
and  unable  to  get  through  more  than  necessary  work," 
is  his  own  account  to  his  father  on  January  2,  1874. 

He  took  part,  of  course,  in  the  general  London  Mission 
of  that  year  ;  Mr.  Suckling  coming  a  second  time  to  St. 
Peter's,  with  Mr.  Charles  Gray  as  his  colleague. 

Much  of  Father  Lowder's  thoughts  were  taken  up  at 
this  time  with  the  sister  who  was  slowly  fading  away,  and 
in  the  midst  of  pressing  work  he  wrote  long  letters  of 
plans  and  arrangements  for  her  comfort,  and  for  moving 
her  with  as  little  fatigue  as  possible  from  Folkestone  to 


300 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


her  home  at  Fromc.    To  his  father  he  wrote  on  Whitsun 
Eve  : — 

We  have  been  kept  at  work  by  the  Archbishop's  Bill.  On 
Tuesday  I  went  with  a  deputation  from  the  English  Church  Union 
to  Lambeth,  and  we  tried  to  make  some  impression  on  the  Arch- 
bishop, but  I  do  not  know  that  we  succeeded ;  however,  he  listened 
very  patiently  to  us.  Lords  Devon,  Nelson,  Glasgow,  and  L., 
C.  L.  Wood,  Shaw  Stewart,  Majendie,  with  Carter,  Medd,  Butler, 
White,  and  myself,  were  the  deputation.  We  also  had  a  meeting 
at  St.-Alban's  and  All  Saint's. 

In  August  he  went  to  Switzerland  with  Mr.  Body  and 
Mr.  Gray,  attempting  less  in  the  way  of  mountaineering 
than  in  any  previons  excursions,  but  keeping  to  quiet 
wanderings  in  the  Bernese  Oberland.  He  parted  with 
his  companions  in  about  a  fortnight,  and  made  his  way 
alone  to  St.  Moritz.    He  wrote  from  thence  : — 

I  am  enjoying  the  perfect  rest  and  quiet  here,  with  little  temp- 
tation to  exert  myself,  as  I  feel  my  walking  is  over.  It  is  rather 
lonely  by  myself,  but  I  have  plenty  to  amuse  myself  with  in  the 
way  of  reading,  and  so  I  hope  to  come  home  fresh.  ...  I  have 
heard  nothing  from  St.  Peter's,  so  I  hope  all  has  been  going 
on  well ;  but  I  dread  plunging  into  all  my  work,  not  knowing  what 
is  before  me. 

He  returned  in  the  middle  of  September,  but  by 
January,  1875,  was  so  broken  in  health  that  he  was  forced 
to  give  in,  and  to  go  abroad  again,  making  his  way  slowly 
to  Cannes,  lingering  at  Dijon,  Clermont,  and  Lyons.  At 
Clermont  he  could  not  resist  attempting  an  ascent  in  snow. 

It  was  a  lovely  morning,  but  frosty,  so  I  drove  out  to  the  foot 
of  the  Puy  de  Dome,  and  made  an  attempt  to  get  to  the  top,  but 


REST  AT  CANNES. 


301 


though  I  nearly  succeeded,  I  was  stopped  by  the  snow  and  ice,  and 
having  no  one  with  me,  I  was  obliged  to  give  in ;  in  flict,  if  I  had 
not  been  somewhat  used  to  snow  mountains,  I  could  not  have 
gone  so  far,  as  it  required  a  rope,  and  I  had  only  an  umbrella. 
However,  I  had  a  beautiful  view,  and  though  I  had  no  gun,  carried 
home  a  red  partridge,  which  I  found  in  the  snow  quite  fresh. 
.  .  .  It  is  something  new  to  me  to  travel  in  winter  abroad,  and, 
among  other  things,  I  am  learning  to  manage  wood  fires.  ...  I 
got  to  Orange  before  2  p.m.,  and  was  very  glad  I  stopped  there, 
as  I  enjoyed  my  first  sight  of  the  Roman  remains  of  the  Alidi, 
amongst  which  I  have  been  quite  revelling  this  last  week. 

Hotel  du  Square  Brougham,  Cannes,  February  7,  1875. 

.  .  .  This  is  a  beautiful  spot,  and  I  hope  I  may  be  able  to  stay, 
but  it  is  very  full,  and  the  room  I  am  now  in  I  shall  be  obliged  to 
leave  to-morrow.  I  hope  I  may  get  another  room  in  this  house,  as 
it  is  quiet  and  in  a  good  situation  away  from  the  town. 

Though  I  have  enjoyed  my  tour  so  much  in  the  new  objects  of 
interest  I  have  seen,  yet  I  am  very  glad  to  get  thus  far,  with  the 
hope  of  being  quiet  for  a  little  before  I  go  on  to  Rome.  I  enjoyed 
amazingly  to-day  sitting  out  on  the  beach  with  the  quiet  ripple  of 
the  tideless  Mediterranean,  which  I  can  now  hear  from  my  window. 
I  wish  Katey  could  be  transported  here,  for  I  think  the  climate 
would  give  her  new  life.  I  can  well  understand  how  those  who 
have  once  enjoyed  a  winter  on  this  coast  are  tempted  to  come 
back. 

Le  Trayas  pr^s  de  Cannes,  February  13,  1875. 

My  dear  Katey, 

You  will  all  be  surprised  at  my  address  and  at  the 
paper  on  which  I  am  writing,  but  I  am  waiting  for  a  train  in  a 
station  near  Cannes,  and  as  I  have  some  time  to  wait  I  will  em- 
ploy myself  in  writing  a  letter  to  you.  I  have  been  thinking  a 
great  deal  about  you  lately,  and  whether  Cannes  would  suit 
you.  .  .  . 

To-day  I  have  been  to  the  top  of  one  of  the  Esterel  Mountains. 


302 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


I  intended  to  have  walked  back  to  Cannes,  but  I  lost  my  way 
coming  down,  and  so  have  come  back  to  the  station  that  I  may 
return  by  the  train.  ...  I  shall  probably  stay  a  week  longer,  and 
then  go  on  to  Nice  and  Mentone  and  so  to  Rome.  I  hear  Eland 
has  been  here,  but  I  missed  him.  We  are  a  very  quiet  party  in 
our  pension — a  clergyman  named  Woodhouse  is  here  with  his  wife 
and  niece,  a  Scotch  lady  and  her  daughter,  and  a  few  others.  I 
hope  Annie  and  Mary  will  be  able  to  read  this  writing,  but  you 
must  understand  this  is  a  little  station  on  the  seashore  about  six 
or  seven  miles  from  Cannes,  perched  by  itself  without  a  house 
near  it,  except  one  or  two  where  the  employes  live.  I  am 
writing  at  the  stationmaster's  desk;  in  fact,  they  have  made 
me  a  little  coffee,  and  I  am  in  charge  of  the  booking-office 
while  they  are  gone  to  supper,  so  I  hope  I  have  made  a  good  use 
of  my  time.  .  .  .  Skinner  and  Mrs.  Skinner  are  here  in  a  pension 
close  by.    I  called  upon  them  to-day. 

In  March  he  went  on  by  the  Cornice  to  Genoa,  spending 
a  few  days  at  the  villages  on  the  way,  and  sending  a  large 
box  of  palms  from  Bordighera  to  St.  Peter's.  He  reached 
Rome  by  Holy  Week — the  first  that  he  had  spent  away 
from  his  people  since  the  Mission  began.  Here,  on  Easter 
Day,  he  received  a  telegram  telling  him  that  his  sister  had 
passed  away  on  Easter  Eve.  He  set  out  at  once,  and 
travelled  three  days  and  nights  without  stopping,  arriving, 
his  eldest  sister's  journal  notes,  on  April  i,  "very  much 
knocked  up  and  looking  very  ill."  He  celebrated  early 
next  morning,  the  day  of  the  funeral.  There  are  two  or 
three  entries  in  his  sister's  journal  mentioning  him  at  this 
time : — 

St.  Mark's  Day,  1875. 
Charles  preached  from  the  Epistle :  "  He  gave  some  Apostles 
...  for  the  perfecting  of  the  saints." 


FAILING  HEALTH. 


"  That  is  the  object  of  all  God's  work  for  us.  We  are  to  set 
forth  Christ's  likeness  in  the  world — are  we  doing  it  ?  " 

April  29. 

Charles  left  us.    Now  our  loss  raa,kes  itself  more  truly  felt. 

May  S 

Charles  went  to  a  lodging  at  Chislehurst — too  unwell  to  con- 
tinue at  St.  Peter's. 

He  had  written  to  his  father  on  April  30,  "  I  have  got 
through  the  Synod  very  well,  and  feel  able  to  do  my  work, 
if  I  take  it  quietly."  But  in  a  few  days  he  broke  down,  and 
was  unable  to  return  to  live  at  St.  Peter's  for  many  months. 
Mr.  Linklater  says  that 

Even  in  the  days  of  tolerable  health  he  made  a  rule  of  sleeping 
out  in  the  country  one  night  in  the  week.  The  smells  and  vitiated 
atmosphere  of  his  home  were  so  poisonous,  and  the  surroundings 
of  his  life  so  depressing,  that  a  night  in  the  fresh  pure  country  air 
was  a  seventh-day  need. 

And  what  Mr.  Lowder  ordered  for  himself  he  ordered  for  his 
curates.  Indeed,  he  went  so  far,  at  one  time,  as  to  provide  a 
special  room  for  them  at  Chislehurst.  But  I  was  the  only  obedient 
disciple.  The  others  were  too  enamoured  of  their  work  to  tear 
themselves  away ;  they  stuck  to  the  ship  morning,  noon,  and  night, 
and  so  the  plan  fell  through.  This  weekly  run  into  the  country 
served  to  prove  how  many  sincere  friends  Mr.  Lowder  had  who 
were  always  glad  to  receive  him,  and  in  how  many  pleasant 
country  houses  there  was  a  "prophet's  chamber"  always  ready  for 
him. 

But,  alas  !  the  time  came  when  the  one  holiday  became  the  one 
working  day  in  the  week.  For  a  long  time  he  was  so  broken 
in  health  that  it  was  as  much  as  he  could  do  to  drag  through  the 
duties  of  the  Sunday.  During  this  long  period  he  lived  at  Chisle- 
hurst, which  was  of  easy  access,  and  the  fine  bracing  air  of  which 


304 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


place  suited  him.  It  was  a  great  comfort  to  him  to  have  thus 
proof  positive  that  he  had  so  thoroughly  established  his  work 
that  it  went  on  as  easily  and  regularly  in  his  absence  as  in  his 
presence. 

And  thus  he  was  able  the  more  contentedly  to  obey  the  doctors 
and  go  abroad  for  several  months  in  after  years. 

The  spring  of  1876  found  him  again  in  London. 

St.  Peter's  Vicarage,  March  7,  1876. 

My  dear  Father, 

...  I  have  been  at  St.  Peter's  for  the  last  ten  days,  and 
of  course  full  of  Lent  work.  I  hope  I  shall  be  able  to  get  on 
pretty  well.  The  East  End  is  in  excitement  just  now,  as  the 
Queen  is,  I  suppose,  at  this  moment  in  the  London  Hospital. 
The  other  clergy  are  gone  to  see  her,  as  we  had  very  good  places 
offered  to  us,  but  I  am  keeping  house  quietly.  I  hear  the  pre- 
parations in  Whitechapel  are  very  grand. 

I,  Florence  Villas,  Chislehurst,  Whitsun  Tuesday,  1876. 

'.  .  .  \  will  try  to  get  over  to  Wilmington  to-morrow.  I  was  too 
tired  to-day,  as  yesterday  was  spent  in  entertaining  the  choir 
over  here.  We  had  our  head-quarters  on  the  common,  and  we  had 
a  beautiful  and  very  successful  day.  This  is  my  first  day  of  entire 
rest  since  I  left  Frome,  as  I  was  obliged  to  be  in  London  every 
day  last  week,  though  I  slept  here  several  nights.  I  like  my 
lodgings  very  much,  and  I  have  a  spare  room  for  the  other  clergy^ 
all  of  whom  have  now  been  over  to  see  me  in  turn.  On  Wednes- 
day we  had  a  large  tea-meeting,  at  which  they  presented  me  with  a 
very  kindly  expressed  testimonial  of  congratulation  at  my  return 
and  sympathy  with  our  bereavement,  and  ;^20,  which  I  am  goin;^ 
to  devote  to  something  in  the  church.  .  ,  . 

I  find  plenty  of  friends  here ;  so  with  the  clergy  coming  over 
from  St.  Peter's  I  am  far  from  dull.  The  people  here  are  very 
pleasant  and  sociable,  and  my  chief  difficulty  is  to  cut  out  my  time 
for  visiting  them. 


LETTER  FROM  THE  COLONIES. 


In  December  he  wrote  : — 

We  are  making  exchanges  with  Chislehurst  this  Advent;  the 
clergy  here  are  preaching  for  us,  and  I  am  preaching  here  on 
Thursdays. 

'The  following  letter  from  a  clergyman  in  the  Colonics 
may  be  given  as  a  specimen  of  many  others  of  the  same 
kind  which  he  received  : — 

July  5,  1875. 

Dear  Father  Lowder, 

I  experienced  a  very  pleasant  surprise  last  week  in  the 
receipt  of  your  "  Letter  to  the  Bishop  of  London  on  Sacramental 
Confession,"  endorsed  with  the  author's  kind  regards.  I  don't 
know  how  you  heard  of  my  whereabouts,  unless  through  our 
good  Bishop,  or  my  friend  Mr.  Lamborne  of  Bermondsey,  who 
was  to  send  me  a  copy.  It  brought  back  the  remembrance  of 
old  times  most  vividly,  when  I  used  to  make  pilgrimages  from 
Kensington  to  Calvert  Street,  and  took  my  part  in  the  St. 
George's  riots  !  It  is  not  likely  that  you  remember  my  coming  to 
you  to  make  my  first  confession,  and  your  putting  me  off  for  a 
week,  doubtless  to  test  my  sincerity.  Now,  suppose  you  had 
contented  yourself  with  giving  me  a  little  good  advice,  instead  of 
giving  me  absolution,  what  would  have  been  the  consequence? 
Why,  instead  of  being  as  I  am  (though  so  utterly  unworthy)  a 
priest  of  God,  pronouncing  His  absolution  to  others,  I  might 
have  been  absorbed  in  the  world  or  in  some  sect.  I  have  never 
forgotten  you,  dear  Father,  through  all  these  years  :  your  latest 
photograph  and  the  Scupoli*  you  gave  me  are  before  me  now.  I 
should  have  witten  to  you,  only  that  you  told  me  when  taking  leave 
that,  owing  to  your  large  correspondence,  I  need  not  expect  an 
answer  to  a  letter.  I  was  not  offended  at  this,  but  thought  myself 
of  too  little  consequence  to  occupy  your  attention. 

How  strangely  events  come  about.    Who  would  have  thought 

*  "The  Spiritual  Combat,"  by  Scupoli. 

X 


CirARLES  LOWDER. 


that  the  poor  youth  that  heard  you  address  the  children  one 
Good  Friday  at  St.  Barnabas',  and  who  was  afterwards  advised  by 
Mr.  Crickmay  to  go  over  to  the  London  Docks  and  encourage  the 
Church  there,  should  proceed  to  St.  Augustine's  and  sail  for  the 
Colonies,  there  to  proclaim  the  same  blessed  truths  and  propagate 
the  Catholic  faith.  But  so  it  has  been  ordained  in  God's  good 
providence. 

I  have  now  fifteen  churches  under  my  care,  all  more  or  less 
adapted  for  decent  ritual.  Our  new  church  of  St.  Peter  at  this 
place  is  very  beautiful.  The  Bishop  will  consecrate  it,  if  he  is 
spared  to  return  in  safety.  As  we  have  no  stained  glass,  I  have 
decorated  the  walls  with  pictures  of  our  Saviour,  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  St.  Peter,  and  St.  John  Baptist,  besides  a  large  crucifixion 
over  the  reredos.  We  have  a  surpliced  choir  of  white,  black,  and 
mulatto  men  and  boys,  so  you  see  we  are  following  in  the  steps 
of  our  advanced  friends  at  home  as  far  as  we  can.  If  you  see 
our  Bishop  again  he  will  tell  you  about  my  worL  The  Church 
Times  keeps  me  au  fait  to  the  various  movements  at  home ;  they 
are  of  great  interest  to  us,  as  the  wave  of  progress  reaches  even 
to  this  distant  diocese,  and  we  reproduce  in  our  humble  way  the 
grand  ritual  of  the  Church  in  England. 

The  following  letter  shows  that  by  Easter  Father 
Lowder  had  returned  to  his  Calvert  Street  home. 

St.  Peter's  Vicarage,  London  Docks,  E.,  Easter  Eve,  1876. 

My  dearest  Father, 

I  write  a  few  lines  to  v/ish  you  and  my  sisters  all 
Easter  blessings.  I  cannot  but  think  of  the  cloud  over  our  Easter 
joy  last  year;  indeed,  I  have  more  than  thought,  for  I  spoke  of  it 
in  my  last  address  at  the  stations  yesterday,  on  our  Blessed  Lord 
being  laid  in  the  grave.  R.I. P.  with  our  other  loved  ones,  who 
are  keepings  a  happier  Easter  in  Paradise.  May  we  be  ready  for 
our  call.  I  am  thankful  to  say  that  I  have  not  felt  so  tired  as 
usual  after  my  Good  Friday,  which,  on  the  whole,  passed  off  very 


BULGARIAN  SCHEME. 


quietly,  though  the  snow  in  the  morning  and  the  cold  weather 
kept  away  many. 

Most  of  the  summer  of  1876  was  spent  by  Father 
Lewder  at  Chislehurst,  where  he  Hved  in  the  Rectory, 
taking  Mr.  Murray's  duty  in  his  absence.  He  wrote  to 
his  sister  on  August  31th  : — 

I  am  afraid  the  Murrays  will  not  be  home  till  the  end  of  next 
week,  but  I  shall  be  glad  now  to  be  free.  If  I  could  do  any  good 
to  the  poor  Servians  or  Bulgarians,  I  would  gladly  go  out  and  help 
them ;  perhaps  I  might  by  organizing  a  detachment  of  Sisters  and 
nurses. 

A  little  later  than  this,  he  made  every  arrangement  to 
go  to  the  seat  of  vt^ar,  and  went  to  East  Grinstead  with 
Lady  Strangford's  sister,  to  organize  a  band  of  Sisters  who 
had  promised  to  accompany  him.  But  a  telegram  from 
Lady  Strangford,  saying  that  the  religious  prejudices  of  the 
Turks  would  be  aroused  by  the  Sisters'  dress,  prevented 
the  plan  from  being  carried  out;  and,  on  November  12th, 
he  wrote  to  his  sister  from  Brighton  ; — 

It  was  well  for  me  that  the  Bulgarian  scheme  fell  through,  as 
I  did  not  feel  up  to  it.  Dr.  Drury  prescribed  for  my  complaint, 
and  has  given  me  some  advice  afterwards,  but  we  did  not  go  very 
deeply  into  it.  He  is  a  very  clever  homoeopath.  I  am  obliged  to 
be  very  quiet  at  present. 

He  had  felt  deeply  the  death  of  his  venerable  father,  to 
whom  he  had  been  summoned  on  September  5th,  and  who 
passed  away  on  the  9th,  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven.  The 
harvest  festival  at  St.  Mary's,  Fromefield,  was  on  the 
1 2th,  the  eve  of  his  funeral,  and  harmonized  well  with 


308 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


his  children's  feelings,  for  their  father  was  indeed  as  a 
shock  of  wheat  fully  ripe  gathered  into  the  heavenly- 
garner.  The  parents  and  the  sister  now  slept  in  the  same 
grave.  There  is  a  little  notice  of  their  next  Christmas 
meeting  in  his  eldest  sister's  journal : — 

Christmas  Day,  1876. 
Dined  with  Charles  in  his  room  at  the  Clergy  House,  an  event 
which  we  cannot  remember  since  we  left  Tetburj'.    Drank  tea 
with  the  Sisters,  Charles  joining  us  there,  to  their  supreme  delight. 

A  letter  from  the  old  friend  who  had  given  him  a  title 
for  Holy  Orders,  Lord  John  Thynne,  gave  him  much 
pleasure  this  Christmas. 

Haynes  Park,  Bedford. 

Dear  Lowder, 

In  spite  of  seventy-eight  years  now  completed,  I  am 
graciously  permitted  again  to  send  you  a  little  Christmas  offering 
in  behalf  of  your  persevering  and  successful  good  works.  I  was 
pleased  to  hear  of  your  visiting  Arthur  at  Kilkhampton,  where  I 
hope  he  is  doing  some  good,  with  encouragement 

Yours  sincerely, 

J.  T. 

P.S. — After  writing  as  above,  I  received  Report  of  St  George's 
Mission,  pointing  out  the  more  wants,  the  more  hopes,  and  the 
further  extension  of  your  good  designs ;  so  I  took  out  my  cheque  of 
;^io  and  put  an  o  to  it,  for  it  is  probable  I  may  never  again  be 
permitted  to  strengthen  the  power  of  good  deeds  by  my  much- 
valued  friend  C.  F.  L.,  for  whom  my  affection  is  unabated  and  my 
respect  increased  yearly.  J.  T. 

December  20,  1876. 

His  sisters  went  abroad  early  in  1 877  ;  he  had  now 
been  working  for  twenty-one  yeai's  in  East  London,  and 
felt  that  he  might  take  a  long  holiday,  and  devote  himself 


VISIT  TO  FROME. 


for  a  time  to  cheerinjr  and  helping  them.  He  did  not, 
however,  join  them  until  the  autumn  ;  and  the  following 
extracts  are  from  letters  written  to  them  before  leaving 
England  : — 

Frome,  Feast  of  St.  John  Baptist,  1877. 

My  dear  Annie, 

Many  thanks  to  you  and  Mary  for  your  kind  letters, 
which,  though  a  day  late,  were  none  the  less  acceptable,  for  as  I 
came  into  Frome  I  felt  very  dreary  and  desolate,  considering  that 
it  was  the  first  time  I  had  come  here  for  twenty-five  years  without 
having  any  of  you  to  welcome  me.  Your  letters  helped  to  make 
up  a  httle  for  that  which  can  never  be  replaced,  the  love  of  my 
dear  father  and  mother  whenever  I  came  home.  The  Vicar  had 
been  kind  enough  to  let  me  celebrate  at  6.30,  and  you  may  be 
sure  I  did  not  forget  the  departed  ones ;  indeed,  my  heart  has  been 
very  full  all  day,  and  I  was  afraid  once  or  twice  of  breaking  down. 
While  making  my  thanksgiving  in  the  Lady  Chapel,  they  were 
ringing  a  lovely  peal,  and  the  bells  seemed  like  voices  from  heaven, 
saying,  "  Come  home."  I  was  able  to  finish  (my  thanksgiving), 
kneeling  quietly  at  the  grave  while  they  were  singing  the  Kyrie. 
I  am  sleeping  at  Mr.  Penny's,  and  he  and  his  wife  are  very 
attentive.  Miss  Maddox  has  made  some  beautiful  wreaths  (for 
the  grave). 

The  gentians  *  are  very  lovely  in  colour,  but  have  not  come 
out  much ;  the  other  white  flowers  have  revived  very  well.  .  .  . 
The  weather  is  lovely  ;  there  were  a  great  many  communicants  and 
a  large  congregation  at  Matins.  I  preached  on  Nehemiah  vi.  15. 
I  was  in  Oxfordshire  on  June  3rd ;  St.  Barnabas',  Pimlico,  on  the 
eve  of  St.  Barnabas,  Lincolnshire  the  nth,  Bedford  on  the  19th, 
and  have  been  much  taken  up  with  the  unpleasant  agitation  about 
S.  S.  C.  and  a  book  written  by  Mr.  Chambers  (who  was  warden  of 
the  House  of  Charity),  and  dedicated  it  to  us,  but  intended  only 
for  priests.    One  was  stolen,  and  they  have  extracted  a  number 

*  Sent  by  his  sisters  from  Champeri. 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


of  questions  from  it,  and  represented  that  we  ask  them  constantly 
in  hearing  confessions.  There  was  a  discussion  in  the  House  of 
Lords  and  questions  in  the  House  of  Commons.  The  Bisliops 
behaved  shamefully.  We  were  abused  by  name.  We  are  going  to 
some  of  them  this  week.  I  go  back  to-morrow.  I  expect  my 
book  out  this  week  ;  I  will  send  you  one.  .  .  . 

I  went  to  Chislehurst  last  Monday,  and  was  in  charming 
quarters  with  Parker  the  curate,  in  a  new  house  built  for  him. 
Murray  came  back  from  the  Holy  Land  the  day  I  arrived.  I  hope 
to  enjoy  some  more  quiet  here  after  our  festival  on  Monday. 
Randall  preached  a  fine  sermon  last  night  to  a  crowded  congre- 
gation. ...  I  go  back  to  London  at  two,  as  I  have  a  communicant 
class  on  Tuesday,  and  three  meetings  unfortunately,  so  that  I 
cannot  get  back  to  Chislehurst  till  Tuesday  night,  and  then  I 
must  be  at  St  Peter's  every  day  this  week,  so  that  I  envy  your 
quiet  at  Champ^ri.    I  hope  to  call  and  see  the  old  house.* 

10.15  — This  letter  has  been  written  by  fits  and  starts.  I 
have  just  had  the  comfort  of  kneeling  in  my  father's  and  mother's 
old  place ;  so  though  I  do  go  back  to  London  with  a  full  heart, 
and  with  a  great  deal  of  very  serious  anxiety,  for  our  conference 
with  the  Bishop  is  very  serious,  yet  altogether  it  has  been  a  great 
comfort  being  here.  I  have  felt  so  much  in  the  company  of  the 
departed  that  it  has  been  refreshing.  My  best  love  to  you  both, 
and  believe  me, 

Your  very  affectionate  brother, 

Charles. 

St.  Peter's  Vicarage,  September  18,  1877. 
...  I  hope  to  Start  about  the  12th,  with  one  of  Lord  Nelson's 
sons  as  my  companion.  He  will  stay  with  us  in  Florence  and 
Rome.  My  idea  is  to  go  over  the  Simplon,  as  it  is  almost  the 
only  pass  that  I  do  not  know,  and  so  down  to  Baveno.  I  think 
your  best  plan  would  be  to  go  on  to  Milan  when  you  are  tired  of 
Annecy,  and  take  a  lodging  for  a  fortnight  there,  and  then  meet 
me  at  Baveno.  .  .  . 

*  Ken  House,  where  the  family  had  lived  for  many  years. 


DARTMOOR. 


I  sliall  be  very  gKid  to  get  off,  for  I  am  getting  very  tired,  and 
tliough  I  have  been  away  from  home  a  good  deal,  I  have  not  had 
a  continued  rest,  and  the  year  has  been  a  very  trying  and  anxious 
one.  I  do  not  know  tliat  I  am  quite  safe  yet  from  persecution, 
but  I  hope  it  will  be  so.  I  went  to  Exeter  on  September  3, 
preached  at  St.  Sidwell's,  and  spent  the  next  day  at  Exmouth  and 
Powderham.  It  was  my  first  visit  to  Exmouth  since  we  were 
there  together  in  1823  or  1824.  Charles  Wood,  who  married  Lady 
Agnes  Courtenay,  is  staying  at  Powderham,  and  asked  me  over 
to  stay  with  them,  but  I  was  only  able  to  lunch  and  spend  the 
afternoon,  which  I  enjoyed  much,  as  it  was  a  lovely  day  and  the 
views  from  the  tower  and  the  grounds  beautiful.  C.  W,  drove 
me  to  Exeter,  and  I  had  to  speak  at  a  meeting  in  the  evening. 
The  next  day  I  went  to  a  village  near  Okehampton,  where  John 
Knight  and  all  his  family  were  staying  in  a  very  lovely  spot. 
They  had  hired  the  rectory  of  an  old  Exeter  friend  of  mine, 
Archer.  I  slept  there,  and  they  drove  me  the  next  day  to. 
Dartmoor.  I  walked  four  or  five  miles  to  Princetown  and  saw 
the  prison.  I  was  there  met  by  some  friends,  the  Scobells,  who 
drove  me  to  Meavy.  We  had  a  beautiful  view  towards  Plymouth, 
looking  down  upon  the  Tamar  and  seeing  the  breakwater.  On 
the  Friday  I  came  home.  I  was  very  glad  of  the  opportunity  of 
seeing  so  much  of  Dartmoor.  I  am  going  next  week  to  Ciren- 
cester on  my  way  to  Wakefield  to  preach  for  Chadwick.  Last 
week  we  had  our  synod  of  S.  S.  C,  which  lasted  two  whole  days, 
from  9  a.m.  till  after  7  p.m.  It  was  very  well  attended,  and  I 
am  thankful  it  went  off  so  well.    Body  was  up  and  Boddington. 

...  I  should  like  much  to  see  Annecy  for  St.  Francis'  sake, 
but  I  shall  prefer  getting  more  directly  to  the  lakes.  I  wish,  if 
you  see  anybody  who  knows,  you  would  ask  v/hether  there  is 
likely  to  be  too  much  snow  on  the  Simplon  in  the  middle  of 
October  to  prevent  walking  over,  as  I  should  prefer  to  walk  if  it  is 
practicable.  .  .  . 

Yours  very  affectionately, 

Charles. 


312 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


His  sister  gives  a  few  particulars  of  his  time  abroad  : — 

In  October  Charles  came  (with  young  Nelson)  to  the  Italian 
lakes,  walked  over  the  Simplon,  and  joined  us  at  Baveno.  He 
had  much  wished  to  show  us  the  Italian  lakes,  and  made 
several  beautiful  excursions  with  him. 

He  was  with  us  for  six  weeks  at  Florence,  and  then  we  went 
on  with  him  to  Rome  for  six  weeks.  During  our  stay  the  King 
died  suddenly,  and  by  Charles's  help  we  saw  the  lying  in  state. 

He  enjoyed  taking  long  walks  into  the  country  about  Rome. 
He  used  to  sally  forth  with  some  lunch  and  his  bag  strapped  to 
his  shoulder,  to  search  for  marbles,  of  which  he  had  a  credence 
table  made.  Another  great  pleasure  was  picking  flowers  in  the 
grounds  of  the  surrounding  villas — ^^especially,  I  remember,  at  the 
Pamfili  Doria. 

He  met  many  friends,  and  enjoyed  sociable  evenings  with  the 
.Bishop  of  Bombay  and  Bishop  Tozer,  Dr.  Nevins  of  the 
American  Church,  and  other  clergy. 

From  Rome  we  went  to  Castellamare,  to  a  pension  where,  as  we 
afterwards  heard,  his  arrival  was  dreaded,  but  it  was  amusing  to 
see  how  his  brightness  and  geniality  won  his  opponents.  One 
evening  he  proposed  that  the  company  should  be  amused  by 
certain  gentlemen  telling  tales,  and  he  led  the  way  with  a  very 
humorous  and  curious  story  which  he  had  heard  in  Cornwall^ 
and  which  had  tickled  his  fancy  extremely. 

Charles  had  intended  to  spend  a  month  with  us  at  Cas- 
tellamare, but  in  consequence  of  the  Pope's  death  he  returned  to 
Rome,  and  through  the  interest  of  Cardinal  Manning,  who  was 
always  very  civil  to  him,  he  was  admitted  to  the  Sixtine  Chapel 
for  some  of  the  funeral  services.  We  remained  at  Castellamare,  and 
did  not  see  him  again  till  we  returned  to  England. 

He  returned  home  before  the  Easter  of  1878.  Mr. 
Linklater  writes  : — 

It  was  this  year  when  he  only  came  back  in  time  for  Passion- 


JOURNEY  TO  ENGLAND. 


tide,  that  he  appropriated  to  the  curates  the  Easter  offering,  which 
of  course  had  before  been  ahvays  the  Vicar's  own. 

I  mention  it  to  show  how  liberal  and  generous  he  was  ■  in 
money  matters,  and  as  the  offertory  generally  came  to  about  ;^4o 
(a  wonderful  sum  for  so  poor  a  parish,  and  most  eloquently 
testifying  to  the  value  the  people  set  upon  the  Church's  work),  a 
fourth  share  of  that  sum  (there  were  four  curates)  was  a  consider- 
able addition  to  our  net  income  of  jQ^o. 

To  his  sister  he  wrote  on  his  homeward  journey,  and 
after  his  return  to  England  : — 

Rome,  February  18,  1878. 
We  started  for  Rome  at  six  and  reached  it  just  before  ten,  but, 
alas !  too  late  for  the  lying  in  state  or  entombment.  Yesterday, 
however,  with  gi-eat  difficulty,  I  got  into  the  Sixtine  Chapel  for  the 
last  of  the  requiem  Masses,  which  was  very  impressive.  The 
Dies  Ira  was  very  touching.  The  choir,  so  long  dispersed,  were 
together  again.  An  immense  catafalque  in  the  centre,  with  the 
Cardinals  all  present,  ambassadors,  Swiss  guards,  soldiers.  All 
present  in  mourning,  and  the  panegyric  preached  by  a  Cardinal. 
I  afterwards  saw  the  cells  in  which  they  are  to  be  shut  up  to-day. 
The  Mass  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is,  I  suppose,  just  over  in  the  Paoline 
Chapel,  but  it  was  quite  private.  This  evening,  if  the  rooms  are 
ready,  they  will  be  shut  up  for  the  conclave,  and  then  we  shall  be 
all  on  the  qui  vive  to  know  the  result.  .  .  . 

Cannes,  Third  Sunday  in  Lent,  1878. 
.  .  .  We  spent  two  or  three  hours  in  Genoa,  and  came  on  late 
to  Bordighera.  I  got  my  palms,  which  I  hope  to  bring  home  with 
me,  and  arrived  here  about  4  p.m.  Skinner  is  here,  and  I  am 
just  going  to  call  upon  him,  and  the  Elands  I  have  seen,  who  are 
also  on  their  way  to  England. 

July  3- 

I  am  very  glad  that  you  have  enjoyed  yourselves  so  much 
and  seen  so  many  objects  of  interest.     I  was  wiili  Body  at  Cor- 


314 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


tina  some  years  ago  (1871),  but  we  approached  it  from  the  other 
side,  and  did  not  remain  there  even  to  sleep,  but  went  over  the 
Tre  Sassi  to  Andraz,  and  then  to  St.  Marco  and  Ulrich  for  the 
Brenner  Hne.  If  you  go  to  HeiHgenblut,  remember  me  to  Anton 
Granogger ;  he  will  remember  my  giving  him  a  pair  of  mackintosh 
leggings.  He  went  up  with  me  and  Parker  to  the  Barenkopf,  the 
Glockerei,  and  the  Windelbachhorn  in  one  day's  long  excursion  in 
1 87 1.  Parker  and  I  went  up  the  Gross  Glockner  before  with 
Kals  guides.  Anton  is  a  very  good  fellow  ;  I  send  you  a  photo- 
graph which  you  may  give  him  if  you  go,  only  perhaps  he  will  not 
recognize  me  in  a  cassock,  as  I  then  wore  a  white  flannel  suit ;  but 
he  would  remember  the  year  in  which  the  Hoffman  memorial  was 
put  up  at  the  Johanneshohe.  .  .  . 

The  case  arrived  from  Rome  on  the  eve  of  St.  Peter's  Day, 
quite  safe,  and  very  handsome  ;  it  is  much  admired.* 

.  .  .  The  Bishop  of  Bombay  preached  last  night,  and  seemed 
well.  I  hope  Dr.  Medley,  the  Bishop  of  Fredericton,  will  come  to 
us  to-morrow.  I  do  not  think  they  will  be  able  to  do  anything  in 
Mackonochie's  case  for  a  long  time,  perhaps  a  year  or  two,  as  it 
will  very  likely  go  to  the  House  of  Lords,  so  that  all  prosecution 
will  be  stopped  in  the  mean  while. 

.  .  .  We  had  Lords  Nelson,  Glasgow,  and  Forbes  here.  .  .  . 

I  am  going  to  wi-ite  to  the  Lainsons  about  an  excursion  t  at 
the  end  of  this  month. 

Your  very  affectionate  brother, 

Charles. 

P.S.  Mackonochie  has  won  his  appeal.  I  hope  we  shall  be 
quiet  for  the  present. 

Things  are  going  on  quite  quietly  in  the  parish.  I  hear 
nothing  more  of  any  attempt  at  prosecution.  In  fact,  after  the 
quietus  which  has  been  given  to  Lord  Penzance,  I  do  not  think 
we  shall  have  much  persecution  anywhere,  though  they  seem  to  be 
attacking  Mr.  Dale. 

*  This  was  a  credence  table  made  of  pieces  of  marble  he  picked  up  in 
Rome  and  the  neighbourhood. 

t  Of  five  hundred  school  children. 


FOREIGN  BISHOPS  AT  SI.  PETER'S.  315 

St.  Peter's  Vicarage,  July  26,  1878. 

I  wa.s  at  East  Grinstead  on  Tuesday,  and  a  very  storm  of 
thunder  and  lightning  began  while  we  were  dining  in  the  tent. 
It  cut  the  speeches  short,  beating  through  the  canvas,  and  the 
lightning  killed  a  man  not  far  from  the  convent.  Otherwise  we 
had  a  nice  day  and  a  large  gathering.  .  .  .  On  my  return  from 
E.  G.,  I  stopped  at  Mr.  Lainson's  at  Reigate  to  arrange  about  our 
school  excursion  there  next  Wednesday.  The  Lainsons  have  a 
beautiful  place  there,  with  very  large  grounds,  so  that  if  we  have 
a  fine  day  we  shall  enjoy  ourselves  much,  I  hope.  Pickance  took 
me  over  on  Wednesday  to  an  English  Church  Union  meeting  in 
a  very  pretty  village  near  Godstone.  I  stayed  a  few  days  at  the 
Randells',  who  are  pretty  well.  The  country  is  looking  lovely; 
the  early  rains  made  everything  so  green,  and  now  the  bright  sun 
has  ripened  the  crops  very  rapidly. 

...  I  was  in  the  House  of  Lords  the  other  night  to  hear 
Lord  Beaconsfield's  great  speech  on  the  Berlin  Treaty,  and  I  hope 
to  be  in  the  House  of  Commons  next  Monday  for  the  debate  on 
the  question  of  the  Treaty  and  the  Convention.  It  was  a  very 
fine  sight  in  the  House  of  Lords — the  Princess  of  Wales  and 
many  of  the  royal  family,  the  House  full,  and  the  galleries 
crowded.    I  will  send  you  the  Guardian  with  the  account  of  it. 

.  .  .  We  have  had  some  of  the  American  and  Colonial 
Bishops  with  us  during  the  Lambeth  Conference.  The  Bishop  of 
Fredericton,  a  very  nice  old  man,  Dr.  Medley,  preached  during 
the  festival,  and  the  Bishop  of  Bombay  gave  us  a  very  interesting 
account  of  work  in  India  The  Bishop  of  Albany,  a  son  of  old 
Bishop  Doane,  and  Bishop  Schereschewsky,  a  Pole,  now  a  mis- 
sionary Bishop  in  China  .  .  .  also  preached  for  us,  and  Lord  Beau- 
champ  brought  down  the  Bishop  of  Missouri ;  and  the  Bishop  of 
Colorado,  who  was  staying  with  the  Dean  of  St.  Paul's,  came  last 
Saturday.  Some  of  them  are  very  good  Churchmen,  and  take 
great  interest  in  the  progress  of  things  in  England. 

Your  very  affectionate  brother, 

Charles. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


LAST  DAYS  IN  ENGLAND. 

1878-1880,] 

"  \Vhat  are  we  set  on  earth  for  ?    Say  to  toil, 
Nor  seek  to  leave  thy  tending  of  the  vines, 
For  all  the  heat  o'  the  day — till  it  declines 
Ajid  Death's  mild  curfew  shall  from  work  assoil." 

In  October,  1878,  Father  Lowder  paid  a  visit  to  the  Paris 
Exhibition,  and  spent  three  weeks  with  his  sisters  at 
Follcestone. 

He  walked  with  them  one  day  to  Caesar's  Camp,  and 
when  not  far  from  the  summit  ran  to  the  top,  to  show  them 
how  Httle  the  steep  ascent  tried  him.  But  he  shrank  from 
society,  and  seemed  exhausted  if  he  had  to  talk  much  or 
listen  to  conversation.  An  attempt  had  been  made,  while 
he  was  abroad,  to  get  up  an  attack  on  St.  Peter's.  A  few 
extracts  from  his  reply  to  an  address  of  his  parishioners, 
expressing  their  confidence  in  him,  are  worth  recording  : — 

Of  the  nearly  seventeen  hundred  names  attached  to  the 
memorial,  I  find  that  more  than  three  hundred  are  communicants, 
between  fifteen  and  sixteen  hundred  are  parishioners,  while  of 
those  not  actually  living  within  the  bounds  of  the  parish,  the  great 
majority  are  very  near  neighbours — either  in  Wapping  or  other 
parts  of  the  parish  of  St.  George's — and  the  others  are  communi- 
cants who  come  from  a  somewhat  greater  distance. 


REPLY  TO  lARISHIONERS.  317 

An  anonymous  writer,  calling  himself  a  Wapping  Protestant, 
was  kind  enough  to  warn  the  Bishop  against  the  memorial,  and 
complain  that  many  who  signed  it  did  not  belong  to  the  church. 
Now,  though  I  am  sorry  that  there  are  any  in  the  parish  who  do 
not  come  to  church — and  they  well  know  that  I  would  do  any- 
thing to  bring  them  to  it — yet  I  must  say  I  derived  a  great  deal  of 
pleasure  from  seeing  the  names  of  many  who  do  not  come  to 
church  attached  to  the  address.  Because  were  I  to  feel  that  only 
those  who  are  communicants  or  regular  attendants  at  church  were 
influenced  by  the  work  of  the  clergy.  Sisters,  or  teachers,  I 
should  be  very  much  disappointed ;  for  then  I  should  feel  that  we 
had  failed  in  our  duty  to  a  large  number  of  our  parishioners.  But 
I  am  encouraged  by  the  thought  that  there  are  a  great  many  who 
— though  from  various  reasons,  such  as  want  of  clothes,  idle  or 
bad  habits,  they  do  not  come,  or  only  come  irregularly,  to  church, 
yet  do  not  refuse  the  visits  of  the  clergy  and  Sisters  who  strive 
to  teach  them — are  thankful  that  they  have  a  church  where  they 
may  come  whenever  they  will,  that  there  are  schools  for  their 
children,  and  who  are  influenced  by  the  good  example  of  neigh- 
bours who  do  value  their  church  privileges ;  who,  moreover,  are 
convinced  that  the  clergy  are  their  true  friefids,  and  who  know 
that  in  the  day  of  sickness  and  the  dying  hour  they  can  rely  on 
their  aiding  them  with  their  prayers,  instructions,  consolations,  and 
warnings.  And  both  those  who  come  to  church  and  those  who  do 
not  are  able  to  see  how  unjustifiable  are  the  attacks  of  those  who 
now  put  themselves  forward  as  aggrieved  parishioners,  and  how 
unfit  they  are  to  represent  the  feeling  of  sincere  and  consistent 
Churchmen  in  the  parish.  ... 

Now,  I  do  not  wish  to  attack  or  interfere  with  others.  I  am 
content  to  go  on  quietly  and  steadily  doing  my  duty  to  God  and 
to  you,  if  they  will  kindly  leave  me  alone.  If  I  must  go  to  prison 
for  doing  this  duty  and  trying  my  best  to  save  your  souls,  I  shall 
give  no  trouble  to  the  policeman,  but  go  quietly,  like  my  friend  Mr. 
Tooth;  but  I  had  rather  stay  at  my  post  in  St.  Peter's,  and  minister 
to  you  there,  and  in  your  own  house  when  you  need  my  visits. 


3i8 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


But  maintain  the  laws  of  the  Church  I  will,  for  I  vowed  to  do  this 
when  I  was  ordained  thirty-five  years  ago,  before  the  Privy  Council 
or  Lord  Penzance  had  ever  tampered  with  the  Church's  rubrics. 

But  the  main  object  of  this  address  is  to  impress  upon  you, 
my  friends,  the  great  duty  of  showing  by  your  lives  that  you  really 
value  these  Church  privileges.  That  is,  after  all,  the  best  answei 
to  these  complaints — the  witness  of  our  own  lives  and  those  of  our 
people.  Let  those  of  you  who  are  already  communicants  consider 
this  festival  a  call  to  dedicate  yourselves  more  strictly  to  God's 
service.  Prepare  to  make  a  good  communion,  resolving  to  serve 
God  more  faithfully  than  ever.  If  you  have  been  careless  or 
lukewarm  in  your  religious  duties,  remember  that  you  are  not 
only  doing  harm  to  your  own  souls,  but  also  to  the  souls  of  others, 
who  make  your  careless  lives  an  excuse  for  going  on  themselves 
carelessly  and  without  religion. 

And  to  you  who  are  not  communicants,  and  some  of  whom, 
perhaps,  seldom  come  to  church,  let  me  say  this,  that  though 
I  thank  you  very  sincerely  for  your  kind  feelings  to  me  in  signing 
the  address,  yet  I  should  be  far  more  thankful — oh,  how  thankful  to 
Almighty  God  ! — if  I  might  see  you  henceforth  giving  yourselves 
heartily  and  entirely  to  His  service,  loving  the  Church  and  religion 
yourselves,  and  bringing  up  your  children  to  love  God  and  their 
religious  duties.  Then  I  should  indeed  feel  that  this  persecution 
was  blessed  to  us.  I  wtduW  willingly  go  to  prison — nay,  even  if  it 
were  needed  to  death  itself — if  I  believed  it  were  to  lead  to  your 
salvation  and  sanctificatioa 

June  22,  1878. 

The  real  warm  interest  shown  by  Father  Lowder  to 
each  individual  parishioner  with  whom  he  had  to  do  must 
have  been  one  chief  reason  for  the  enthusiastic  loyalty 
which  they  felt  for  him.  In  a  letter  to  his  parishioners  he 
tells  the  story  of  one  family,  and  it  may  well  find  its  place 
here,  as  it  is  the  only  written  record  of  his  work  in  indi- 
vidual cases  which  he  has  left. 


STOKY  OF  AN  EMIGRANT. 


Benjamin  was  brought  up  as  an  agricultural  labourer  in 

Essex ,  he  came  up  to  London  and  worked  as  a  carman,  and  then 
at  coal  work  on  the  river.    He  married,  but  had  little  thought  of 
God  or  of  his  soul,  and  lived  the  rough  ungodly  life  of  those  with 
whom  he  worked  and  associated,  drinking,  swearing,  and  neglect- 
ing religion.     Nay,  so  opposed  was  he  to  its  duties,  that  he 
endeavoured  to  prevent  his  wife  from  attending  the  services  in  the 
Mission  Chapel  of  the  Good  Shepherd;  used  such  threats  and 
actual  violence  towards  her,  when  she  persisted,  that  she  was  in 
bodily  fear,  even  when  kneeling  at  her  prayers  in  the  chapel.  On 
one  occasion  he  refused  to  allow  me  to  visit  her  while  ill  and 
desiring  my  ministrations.    This  continued  for  many  years,  until, 
during  the  cholera  of  1866,  it  pleased  God  to  bring  him  low.  He 
caught  the  disease,  and  while  lying  ill  in  his  bed  accepted  the 
services  of  one  of  the  Sisters.    Her  loving  attention  softened  him, 
and  by  her  persuasion  he  allowed  me  to  visit  him.    Then,  being 
sent  with  his  wife,  also  recovering  from  cholera,  to  the  Conva- 
lescent Home  at  Seaford,  and  moved  by  the  care  bestowed  upon 
his  body  and  soul  by  the  chaplain  and  Sisters,  he  yielded  to  God's 
gi-ace,  repented  truly  of  the  past,  and  resolved,  by  His  help,  to 
lead  a  new  life.    He  was  prepared  for  Confirmation,  and  confirmed 
by  Bishop  Jenner  in  St.  Peter's  Church,  which  had  been  conse- 
crated the  year  before,  just  before  the  outbreak  of  cholera,  and 
then  became  a  communicant.    From  this  time  he  was  most  stead- 
fast and  regular  in  his  duties,  living  happily  at  home,  setting 
a  good  example  to  his  children,  as  well  as  to  his  neighbours,  of 
an  honest  and  religious  life.    He  was  in  the  confraternity  of 
St.  Peter's,  an  active  and  useful  member  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land Working-Men's  Society,  and  frequently  assisted  his  fellow 
members  in  their  defence  of  the  clergy  at  St.  James',  Hatcham, 
was  appointed  a  sidesman  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  and,  as  you  well 
know,  was  a  bright  example  of  what  a  hard-working  man,  albeit  of 
the  rough  material  of  the  working-men  around  us,  might  and 
should  be  in  his  religious  life  and  duties.    In  all  this  he  was 
helped  by  a  good  and  loving  wife,  whose  devout  character,  as  well 


320 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


1 


as  industrious  and  tidy  habits,  tended  to  make  his  home  happy 
and  comfortable.  They  had  three  sons,  the  two  eldest  Ci  whom 
were  confirmed  and  became  communicants,  and  the  eklest  was 
married,  with  one  child. 

A  brother  of  ,  who  had  emigrated  to  Natal  when  V\e  was 

quite  a  boy,  had  for  some  years  invited  him  to  come  out,  and  at 
last,  having  had  opportunities  of  consulting  Bishop  Macrorie  and 
Dean  Green  when  they  were  in  England,  he  resolved  to  do  so. 
Accordingly,  in  October  of  last  year,  after  a  solemn  farewell 
service,  at  which  a  large  body  of  communicants  were  present,  and 
communicating  together,  the  family  started  on  their  voyage,  and 
arrived,  after  a  good  deal  of  bad  weather,  in  Durban,  the  beginning 
of  November.  They  made  their  first  communion  in  Durban, 
where  they  were  delayed  some  time  waiting  for  his  brother's 
waggon  to  take  them  to  Pieter-Maritzburg.  They  arrived  there 
towards  the  end  of  November,  and  on  the  27th,  having  with  great 
difficulty  secured  a  small  cottage,  he  commenced  working,  but  the 
climate  was  too  much  for  him,  and  he  was  only  able  to  continue 
his  work  for  ten  days.  In  a  letter  to  me,  written  on  the  8th 
of  December,  the  first  day  that  he  gave  up  work,  he  complained  of 
the  heat  and  his  consequent  illness,  but  \vrote  with  all  love  and 
affection  to  those  whom  he  had  left  behind  at  St.  Peter's.  He 
tried  to  work  again  the  next  day,  but  was  so  ill  that  he  was  forced 
to  give  up  and  go  home;  and  from  that  day,  though  tenderly 
nursed  and  cared  for  both  in  body  and  soul,  he  never  got  better. 
He  received  most  kind  visits  from  Canon  Deedes,  of  St.  Saviour's 
Cathedral,  for  whose  loving  ministrations,  both  to  him  and  his  son 
Benjamin  (who  soon  followed  his  father  to  the  grave),  we  have 
reason  to  be  most  thankful.  Though  this  care  was  abundantly 
blessed  to  his  soul,  yet  his  body  gradually  sank  under  the  painful 
disease.  His  mind,  when  sometimes  wandering,  returned  to  St. 
Peter's,  and  he  often  asked  to  see  one  of  the  clergy,  and  was 
unhappy  that  this  wish  could  not  be  gratified,  fancying  he  was  at 
home.  But  his  end  was  approaching.  He  made  his  last  com- 
munion on  Christmas  Eve,  at  the  hands  of  the  same  priest  who 


THE  EMIGRANTS  WIDOW, 


32t 


had  given  him  his  first  communion  on  landing  in  Durban,  and 
who  happened  to  be  at  Pieter-Maritzburg  at  the  time.  On  St. 
John's  Day  he  died  very  happily  and  peacefully,  and  was  buried 
on  the  29th. 

But  the  poor  widow's  sorrows  were  not  over.  She  had  to 
resign  not  only  her  husband  but  her  best-loved  son ;  the  son  who 
had  been  her  greatest  comfort  in  England,  the  steadiest  and  most 
religious ;  who  had  most  closely  followed  his  father's  example  in 
his  love  for  the  Church,  where  he  had  served  as  a  banner-bearer 
in  the  processions.  It  was  to  him  that  his  father  in  his  dying 
moments  had  committed  the  care  of  his  widow,  and  now  he  was 
taken  ill  of  dysentery  also  on  the  3rd  of  January,  and  on  the  9th 
was  so  ill  that  he  was  obliged  to  be  removed  to  the  hospital. 
There  he  lay  for  three  weeks,  nursed  by  his  mother  as  well  as  the 
native  attendants,  and  receiving  the  ministrations  of  the  Church 
from  Canon  Deedes.  His  mother's  account  of  the  memory  of  his 
last  moments,  which  she  has  tenderly  treasured,  was  very  touching. 
He  could  not  believe  that  he  was  so  near  death  until  he  learnt  it 
from  the  priest,  and  then  with  great  calmness  and  resignation  he 
made  his  last  confession  and  submitted  himself  to  God's  will. 
This  was  at  night,  and  he  desired  to  receive  communion  in  the 
morning,  but  it  was  not  so  to  be,  as  it  pleased  God  to  take  his 
soul  before  the  morning.  Happily  he  had  communicated  tw© 
days  previously. 

Thus  it  pleased  God  to  deprive  the  poor  widow  of  husband 
and  son,  whose  bodies  she  has  left  behind  her  in  a  distant  colony, 
and  yet  with  the  comfort  that  the  lessons  which  both  carried  away 
with  them  from  home  had  borne  good  fruit,  and  that  their  souls 
were  resting  in  peace.  It  happened  most  fortunately  for  her  that 
a  lady  from  Durban,  returning  with  a  child  to  England,  engaged 
her  as  a  nurse,  and  the  captain  taking  her  youngest  son  as  a 
steward's  boy,  they  returned  in  the  same  ship  and  arrived  safely 
in  England.  This  lad  has  just  been  confirmed  and  made  his  first 
communion,  and  I  trust  will  follow  in  his  father's  steps. 

I  have  given  this  sketch  because  I  hope  it  may  help  to  en- 

Y 


322 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


courage  many  of  you,  especially  men  living  in  the  midst  of  so 
many  trials  and  temptations,  to  see  such  fruits  of  God's  grace  in 
one  of  themselves,  and  the  real  comfort  and  stay  which  the 
blessings  of  religion  and  Church  afford  to  those  who  are  tried  in 
the  afflictions  of  this  world.  It  proves  also  what  I  said  at  first, 
that  the  faithful  who  are  taken  from  us  are  not  a  loss  but  a  gi-eat 
gain,  for  they,  by  God's  loving  care,  are  brought  safe  home ;  they 
are  the  ripe  grain  safely  gathered  into  the  heavenly  garner.  They 
are,  moreover,  as  seals  which  it  pleases  Almighty  God  to  set  upon 
our  work,  assuring  us  that  it  is  real  and  true  and  acceptable  to 
Him. 

The  following  letters  to  the  emigrant  and  to  his  widow 
make  us  understand  something  of  the  affection  which 
Father  Lowder  was  able  to  inspire.  There  are  few  things 
that  the  poor  value  more  than  letters  ;  they  know  what  is 
the  truth,  that  a  busy  man  must  really  care  for  them  if  he 
spends  time  in  writing  to  them. 

St.  Peter's  Vicarage,  London  Docks,  January  ii,  X879. 
My  dear   , 

I  was  very  glad  to  receive  your  letter  of  December  8  yester- 
day. We  had  been  much  interested  in  the  accounts  we  got  from 
Algoa  Bay,  but  were  not  sure  until  your  last  arrived  what  address 
would  find  you.  I  am  sorry  you  have  not  yet  found  more  suitable 
employment,  but  hope  that  you  will  soon  be  able  to  better  yourself 
and  that  the  boys  will  like  their  situations.  No  doubt  the  war 
must  increase  the  price  of  provisions,  but  I  hope  by  this  time  it 
is  over,  and  that  you  will  have  peace  and  quiet.  We  have  been 
going  on  very  quietly  here.  The  aggi-ieved  parishioners  presented 
me  to  the  Archbishop,  but  things  are  so  unsettled  now  in  the 
ecclesiastical  courts,  that  the  Archbishop  decided  not  to  proceed ; 
so  it  is  put  off,  at  least  for  some  time.  We  have  spent  a  happy 
Christmas,  though  the  weather  has  been,  and  is,  very  severe,  and 
we  are  expecting  to  have  the  Thames  frozen  over  soon.  ^Vc 


LE  TTER  FROM  FA  THER  L  0  WDER.  323 

had  a  good  many  communicants  at  Christmas,  and,  on  the  Sunday 
after.  Father  Biscoe  got  up  some  tableaux  or  living  representations 
of  the  Nativity,  in  which  many  took  part,  with  carols  sung  at  each 
representation.  The  communicants'  supper  took  place  last 
Tuesday,  and  we  had  nearly  two  hundred  at  supper,  with  carols, 
songs,  and  speeches,  as  in  former  years.  I  am  sorry  to  say  Mr. 
Mabbitt  is  very  ill ;  I  do  not  think  he  can  last  long,  as  he  eats  very 
little,  and  is  very  low. 

I  will  send  you  an  almanack  or  two,  and  see  that  you 
have  the  Church  Times,  and  I  will  also  send  you  one  of  our 
last  Reports,  in  which  you  will  see  I  have  mentioned  you  and 
your  family.  You  do  not  say  anything  about  your  wife  or  Agnes ; 
I  hope  they  are  bearing  the  climate  well.  Give  my  kind  regards 
to  them,  and  say  I  hope  they  will  keep  their  spirits  up  well,  and 
comfort  you  and  the  boys  when  you  get  down-hearted  about 
things.  I  am  glad  you  are  near  the  church,  and  have  the  oppor- 
tunity of  going,  for  that  will  be  the  most  likely  to  give  you  real 
happiness  in  a  strange  country,  and  remind  you  that  we  are  all 
one  in  the  communion  of  saints,  however  distant  we  may  be 
in  body  one  from  another.  I  am  glad  also  you  know  better  than 
to  mind  what  the  Wesleyans  say  to  you.  You  have  had  to  go 
through  these  sort  of  taunts  before,  and  you  have  had  grace  to 
bear  them,  and  so  you  will  now  find  that  good  will  come  out  of 
all  this  trouble.  Keep  steadfast  to  your  communions,  and  tell 
the  boys  I  hope  they  will  do  so  too,  and  that  George  will  be 
confirmed,  lor  he  wants  the  grace  of  God's  Holy  Spirit  to  keep 
him  firm  against  temptation.  It  would  be  very  good  to  have 
family  prayers  every  night,  to  bind  you  all  together.  I  will  give 
your  messages  to  all  your  friends,  and  I  am  sure,  when  I  tell  them, 
they  will  all  return  your  kind  remembrance  of  them.  May  God 
bless  you  all,  and  keep  you  in  His  holy  faith  and  fear,  and  give 
you  the  blessings  of  a  new  year. 

Yours  very  truly  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 

C.  F.  LOWDEB, 


324 


CHARLES  LOIVDER. 


St.  Peter's  Vicarage,  London  Docks,  E.,  February  6,  1879. 

My  dear  Daughter  in  Jesus  Christ, 

You  may  be  quite  sure  that  we  have  all  felt  most 
deeply  for  you  in  your  trouble,  and  that  I  have  grieved  not  less 
than  others,  for  after  our  long  acquaintance,  or  rather,  I  should 
say,  friendship  for  you  and  your  dear  husband  for  so  many  years, 
it  is  very  sad  to  think  that  you  should  be  left  a  widow  in  a  foreign 
country,  under  such  trying  circumstances.  I  can  understand, 
from  his  letter  to  me,  that  he  was  too  much  exposed  to  the  heat, 
and  that  he  suffered  from  it  in  the  new  climate.  You  will  before 
this  have  received  the  letter  I  wote  to  him  in  answer  to  his.  The 
great  comfort  to  us  here  is  that  he  was  so  well  prepared  for  his 
end,  and  that  he  had  all  the  blessings  and  consolations  of  the 
Church  to  support  him  in  his  last  hours.  And  what  a  comfort  for 
you  all  to  hear  this,  and  that  he  valued  the  privileges  which  were 
offered  him,  and  did  not  forget  the  instructions  which  he  had 
received  at  St.  Peter's.  I  am  indeed  grieved  to  think  that  I  shall 
never  see  him  again  in  this  world,  and  yet  the  prospect  of  a 
happier  meeting  hereafter  is  quite  sufficient  to  soften,  if  not  to 
crush  this  grief.  He  is  now  amongst  those  ripe  fruits  of  the 
harvest  here,  which  it  has  pleased  God  should  be  already  gathered 
in  His  garner.  I  am  very  glad  that  Canon  Deedes  was  able  to 
minister  to  him,  as  I  knew  him  in  Oxford,  and  hope  that  you  will 
give  him  my  kind  regards,  and  say  how  thankful  I  am  to  him  for 
his  kindness.  And  now  about  yourself  Ben  in  his  letter  says 
that  you  think  of  coming  home,  and  of  course  it  is  very  natural 
that  you  should  wish  to  do  so ;  but  do  not  be  in  a  hurry,  but  ask 
the  advice  of  Mr.  Deedes  and  of  the  Bishop  and  Dean.  We  are 
making  inquiries  here,  whether  you  can  have  some  help  on  your 
voyage  home,  and  I  hope  before  the  next  mail  I  shall  hear 
whether  anything  can  be  done  in  that  way ;  and  I  hope  that  we 
shall  hear  from  you  soon,  as  to  what  your  friends  in  Natal  advise 
should  be  done.  If  there  is  no  very  pressing  hurry,  from  the 
circumstances  out  in  Natal,  it  would  be  better  for  you  to  give  us 
time  to  see  what  help  we  can  get  you  for  your  voyage.    It  seems 


VISIT  TO  TENIA RTir. 


remarkable  that  the  news  of  your  husband's  death  should  have 
arrived  on  the  day  that  Mr.  Mabbitt  died,  and  now  I  am  writing 
this  letter  just  before  the  funeral.  He  is  to  be  buried  in  the  same 
cemetery  with  his  wife,  and  you  remember  going  with  us  to 
Beckenham  in  April  last.  You  did  not  then  think  how  soon  you 
would  be  a  widow,  but  who  will  be  next?  We  have  just  finished 
the  service  in  church,  and  are  going  over  directly  to  Beckenham. 
All  here  send  their  love,  and  pray  sincerely  that  you  may  be 
comforted  and  strengthened  in  your  affliction.  My  love  to  Joe 
and  Agnes  and  the  little  one.  Tell  Agnes  to  be  brave  and  of 
good  courage,  and  a  comfort  to  you.  My  love  also  to  Ben  and 
George,  and  I  trust  that  God  may  sanctify  their  loss  to  them,  and 
that  they  may  all  be  watchful  and  ready. 

Yours  very  truly  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 

C.  F.  LOWDER. 

He  had  taken  a  house  for  his  sisters  at  Chislehurst 
from  Midsummer,  1879;  and  here  he  generally  slept  one 
or  two  nights  in  each  week,  taking  tender  care  for  their 
comfort  and  welfare.  He  went  for  his  holiday  to  his 
friend  Mr.  Wynne,  who  kindly  asked  his  brother  and 
sister-in-law  to  meet  him.  From  Wales  he  wrote  to  his 
sister : — 

Peniarth,  August  28,1879. 
.  .  .  Willie  and  I  have  had  a  very  pleasant  week  together, 
though  a  great  deal  of  rain  has  fallen,  and  the  floods  have  done 
much  damage  in  the  valley,  yet  we  have  enjoyed  some  lovely  days 
and  made  some  pleasant  excursions.  The  house  here  has  been 
full,  and  we  have  had  a  pleasant  party.  They  are  now  dispersing. 
Willie  went  to  Barmouth  yesterday  to  meet  Jane  and  little  Willie, 
and  to  find  lodgings  for  them.  I  shall  probably  spend  a  day  or 
two  with  them  next  week  and  come  home  by  Chester. 


326 


CHARLES  LQWDER. 


September  nth. 

I  left  Bethgelert  on  Monday  and  made  an  attempt  on  Snowdon, 
but  after  missing  my  way  and  getting  at  last  into  the  right  path, 
I  was  driven  back  by  a  hurricane  which  might  have  whirled  me 
over  a  precipice  if  I  had  persevered.  The  rain  came  down  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  day  and  through  the  night  in  a  deluge,  so 
that  the  river  at  Capel  Curig  was  swollen  to  a  torrent  and  inun- 
dated the  fields.  It  was  a  piteous  sight  to  see  the  people  up  to 
their  knees  trying  to  save  some  of  their  hay.  I  got  on  to 
Penmanmawr,  and  called  on  the  Bowens  and  slept  at  the  hotel. 
...  I  go  to  Tarporley  to-morrow,  and  expect  to  be  at  St.  Peter's 
on  Monday.    I  may  come  to  you  on  Tuesday  evening  if  I  can. 

His  last  "  Report  of  St.  George's  Mission,"  dated 
November,  1879,  is  written  brightly  and  cheerfully.  He 
had  been  pleased  by  a  few  words  in  the  "  Dictionary  of 
London,"  written  by  Mr.  Dickens  (son  of  the  novelist), 
recommending  his  readers  to  pay  a  visit  to  St.  Peter's 
Church,  where,  he  says,  "  you  will  find  in  full  work  an 
agency  which,  if  the  people  of  the  neighbourhood  are  to  be 
believed,  has  had,  in  the  marvellous  transformation  which 
has  taken  place,  a  more  potent  influence  even  than  police  or 
Parliament  combined." 

But,  Father  Lowder  wrote,  "  it  is  very  difficult  for  those 
who  are  engaged  in  a  spiritual  work  like  our  own  to 
measure  its  real  advance.  Physical  improvements,  cleaner 
streets  and  houses,  healthier  children,  or  even  such  out- 
ward improvement  as  is  shown  in  a  quieter  and  more 
orderly  neighbourhood,  we  can  more  readily  perceive.  .  .  . 

"  Our  work  has  gone  on  steadily  and  happily  during  the 
past  year.  Storms  which  threatened  have  apparently 
blown  over ;  aggrieved  parishioners  have  made  little  or  no 
sign,  and  we  may  hope  for  continued  peace." 


LAST  SCHOOL  EXCURSION. 


The  encouragement  which  above  all  cheered  him  was 
the  Bishop  of  Bedford's  first  visit  to  St.  Peter's,  on  No- 
vember 5,  1879.  He  first  went  to  St.  Agatha's  night 
school,  which  was  filled  upstairs  and  downstairs.  There 
he  addressed  the  boys,  and  gave  them  his  blessing.  Then 
he  went  to  the  men's  meeting  at  the  Iron  School,  where 
between  two  or  three  hundred  men  were  present ;  and  no- 
where in  London  could  he  have  received  a  more  enthusiastic 
welcome. 

All  through  the  winter  and  spring  Father  Lowder  con- 
tinued his  habit  of  coming  once  or  twice  a  week  to  sleep 
at  Chislehurst.  He  was  better  than  he  had  been  five  years 
before,  but  his  sisters  say  that  he  looked  very  worn  and 
weary — that  he  used  to  take  a  book  or  paper  and  fall 
asleep  in  his  chair.  He  spent  Christmas  Day  with  them, 
coming  to  Chislehurst  after  the  services  at  St.  Peter's, 
His  sister's  journal  notes  : — 

January  2,  1880. 

Went  to  St.  Peter's  to  see  the  tableaux  of  Bethlehem  and 
Nazareth,  only  open  to  communicants.  The  idea  is  from  the 
Passion  Play.  Scenery  and  tableaux  very  good,  only  too  cramped 
for  room.  Charles  represented  the  aged  Simeon  holding  the 
Infant,  a  character  which  suited  him  admirably. 

One  day  of  Mr.  Lowder's  last  week  in  England,  July  29, 
1880,  was  spent  in  an  excursion  with  the  children  of  his  flock 
to  Walthamstow.  There  were  nineteen  large  vans,  crammed 
inside  and  outside,  and  "  the  Father "  gave  himself  up  to 
the  children's  pleasure,  lying  on  his  back  on  the  grass  when 
he  had  done  all  he  could  to  amuse  them,  with  little  ones 
clustering  about  him,  jumping  over  him  and  nestling  in 
his  arms.      I  often  think  of  it,"  says  one  who  was  there, 


328 


CHARLES  LOIVDER. 


"  and  can  see  him  now,  as  I  did  on  our  return,  sitting 
opposite  to  me  in  the  van,  bright  and  happy,  though  after 
a  long  wearisome  day,  a  httle  child  on  each  knee,  and  the 
children  singing — 

'  We  all  love  Father  Lowder, 
Because  he  is  so  good, 
Because  he  is  so  kind,' 

until  the  noise  became  so  deafening  that  he  appealed  to 
me  to  stop  the  singing." 

When  they  arrived  at  St.  Peter's,  they  found  the  streets 
illuminated  and  decked  as  for  a  triumphal  procession, 
banners  flying,  and  the  windows  bright  with  coloured  lights. 
A  dense  mass  of  people  filled  the  streets,  cheering  and 
shouting,  the  parish  band  meeting  the  vans  and  playing 
before  them.  Every  one  who  had  not  gone  to  Waltham- 
stow  was  in  the  streets,  and  a  line  was  with  difficulty 
cleared  to  allow  of  the  children  passing  through.  Nothing 
of  the  kind  had  ever  been  done  before,  though  the  school 
excursion  was  an  annual  event. 

It  was  the  last  time  Father  Lowder  entered  his  parish 
alive  :  six  short  weeks  passed,  and  then  the  hearse  con- 
taining his  lifeless  body  passed  slowly  through  those  same 
streets  and  the  same  crowd,  silent  now,  bringing  back  to 
them  their  Father  and  best  friend. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


LAST  JOURNEY. 
iSSo. 

"  Patria  splendida,  terraque  floiida,  libera  splnis, 
Danda  fidelibus  est  ibi  civibus,  hie  peregrinis." 

On  August  2nd  Father  Lowder  celebrated  as  usual  at 
St.  Peter's.  He  continued  at  work  in  his  library  until 
about  twenty  minutes  before  he  started  for  the  Continent. 
Then  he  ran  upstairs,  hastily  packed,  and  left  for  the  last 
time  the  house  to  which  he  had  come,  twenty-four  years 
before,  to  begin  the  work  which  now  was  over.  He  met 
his  sister  Rose  and  a  friend  next  day  at  the  station  at 
Brussels,  and  went  on  with  them  to  Treves,  where  he  chose 
the  Maison  Rouge  to  go  to,  as  the  oldest  hotel  in  the  town — 
a  quaint,  weird-looking  house.  Early  on  the  4th  they  went 
down  the  IMoscUe  to  Coblentz.  Miss  Lowder  wrote  to  her 
sister  : — 

Heidelberg,  August  5th. 
We  had  a  most  delicious  day,  and  we  all  thoroughly  enjoyed 
ourselves,  just  gliding  down  the  river  and  looking  at  lovely 
scenery.  ...  At  Coblentz  we  landed  and  had  some  distance  to 
walk  to  the  hotel,  but  Charles  took  as  much  luggage  as  he  could 
carry  and  walked  on  in  front,  going  so  quickly  that  we  found  it 
difficult  to  keep  up  with  him,  the  day's  rest  and  quiet  had  so 


330 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


refreshed  him.  ...  I  went  early  this  morning  to  the  Cathedral  at 
Coblentz,  and  met  Charles  there.  The  service  was  a  children's 
Mass,  and  he  was  much  taken  by  the  hymns  and  Litany  that  they 
sang.  As  we  returned  together,  he  said,  "  I  should  like  to  get 
that  music  for  the  children  at  St.  Peter's,"  and  passing  a  book- 
seller's shop,  we  went  in  and  found  a  copy  of  the  Litany  with  the 
music,  which  he  bought 

After  breakfast  we  started  for  Burgen-briick,  and  on  the  boat 
he  amused  me  with  stories  of  the  different  castles  we  passed,  and 
was  bright  and  cheerful,  getting  amusement  out  of  every  little 
incident  that  occurred.  We  reached  this  place  at  nine  this  even- 
ing.   Charles  manages  all  for  us,  and  I  do  not  know  what  we  shall 

do  when  he  leaves  us.    Mrs.  B  is  delighted,  and  thinks  him 

a  most  capital  manager,  and  we  have  no  fuss  or  worry.  Francis  B. 
seems  quite  taken  with  Charles,  and  looks  up  to  him  with  the 
greatest  reverence.  He  is  a  particularly  nice,  gentlemanUke  boy. 
,  .  .  Charles  much  enjoyed  the  Moselle,  and  I  think  he  is  looking 
a  little  better  and  less  tired. 

From  Heidelberg  they  went  to  Strasbourg,  and  next 
day,  the  7th,  to  Constance.  Of  these  last  days  with  her 
brother  Miss  Lowder  says — 

We  passed  through  part  of  the  Black  Forest.  Charles  was  espe- 
cially delighted  with  the  scenery,  which  he  had  not  seen  before, 
and  many  times  in  the  journey  expressed  his  admiration.  He 
was,  however,  very  weary,  I  think,  and  once,  on  turning  from  the 
window,  I  was  particularly  struck,  and  indeed  shocked,  at  his 
appearance.  He  was  asleep,  and  looked  so  white  and  worn  out 
that  for  the  first  time  I  felt  anxious  about  him.  He  always 
managed  to  be  bright  and  cheerful  when  in  company  with  others, 
and  one  forgot  sometimes  that  he  certainly  looked  much  paler 
and  more  worn  than  formerly.  Before  we  reached  Constance 
he  had  shaken  off  his  weariness,  and  was  as  bright  and  energetic 
as  ever. 


LAST  COMMUNION. 


August  8  {Sunday).  We  had  delightful  rooms  at  Constance, 
overlooking  the  lake ;  mine,  I  think,  was  the  largest,  and  in  it 
Charles  celebrated  the  Holy  Communion  at  eight,  using  the  holy 
vessels  he  had  brought  with  him  in  a  little  Communion  case. 
Francis  B.  and  I  were  the  only  ones  present.  I  little  thought 
then  that  it  was  the  last  time  he  would  ever  celebrate  on  earth. 
But  so  it  was ;  for  though  he  hoped  to  have  done  so  at  Ober- 
Ammergau  the  following  Sunday,  it  could  not  be  arranged,  and 
the  portmanteau  containing  the  vessels  he  gave  into  my  charge, 
and,  through  a  mistake  at  the  railway  station  at  Munich,  it  never 
reached  him  again. 

After  breakfast  we  strolled  out  in  different  directions,  but  on 
my  return  I  found  Charles  in  his  room,  and  he  said  Matins  with 
me.  The  evening  was  cool  and  pleasant,  and  we  took  a  walk  by 
the  lake;  some  few  people  we  passed,  and  among  them  a  mother 
and  some  children.  One,  a  pretty  little  girl  about  four  years  old,  on 
seeing  Charles,  ran  up  to  him,  and  putting  her  hand  in  his,  walked 
with  him  a  little  way  in  the  most  confiding  manner. 

The  lad  who,  with  his  mother,  was  travelling  with  the 
Lowders  said  afterwards  that  he  had  been  impressed  by 
Father  Lewder  putting  a  stop  to  some  disparaging  remarks 
on  a  brother  clergyman  of  a  different  way  of  thinking  from 
himself,  saying,  "  He  cares  for  his  poor,"  and  by  his 
different  manner  in  speaking  of  another,  professedly  a 
High  Churchman,  who  neglected  them.     "  Once  I  asked 

him,"  young  B  added,  "  if  he  were  not  very  lonely  at 

St.  Peter's,  and  why  he  had  not  a  child  to  live  with  him 
or  pets.  He  replied  that  the  main  inducement  to  be  a 
celibate  was  the  being  able  to  devote  one's  self  without 
distraction  to  God,  and  at  the  same  time  smiled  and  told 
me  of  the  head  of  a  confraternity  who  adopted  a  girl,  and 
when  she  grew  up,  to  the  consternation  of  the  brotherhood, 


332  CHARLES  LOWDER. 

married  her !  He  had  never  in  his  life  had  a  pet,  until  a 
few  weeks  before  our  journey,  when  a  friend  gave  him 
a  little  dog." 

To  his  elder  sister  Father  Lowder  wrote : — 

Zell-am-See,  Austria,  August  22  (Sunday). 
.  .  .  You  know  of  our  meeting  at  Brussels,  our  pleasant 
day  on  the  Moselle,  and  visit  to  Heidelberg,  and  how  much  we 
enjoyed  the  Black  Forest  line  of  railway  which  brought  us  to 
Constance.  ...  I  parted  with  Rose  on  Monday  on  the  quay,  as 
we  took  different  boats,  she  and  her  friends  to  Schaffhausen, 
I  to  Bregenz.  On  board  my  boat  I  fell  in  with  a  Mr.  M'Caul, 
the  Rector  of  St.  Magnus  (by  London  Bridge),  and  a  young 
Ryder,  and  as  we  were  all  going  to  explore  the  Bregenzer  Wald, 
we  joined  forces,  took  a  carriage  a  little  way  out  of  Bregenz,  and 
then  commenced  our  walk.  Though  it  rained  part  of  the  way,  we 
had  a  very  fine  walk,  and  saw  a  most  lovely  sunset  over  the  Lake 
of  Constance.  We  slept  at  a  country  inn;  walked  for  nine  or 
ten  hours  the  next  day  (Tuesday,  loth),  to  a  high  village,  the 
Shroscken,  with  splendid  mountain  views,  marred  by  the  clouds  and 
mists.  We  started  in  rain  the  next  morning  (Wednesday,  nth); 
but  it  soon  cleared,  and  we  enjoyed  the  afternoon  very  much, 
coming  down  upon  a  beautiful  village  of  Mittelberg,  which  re- 
minded us  of  the  situation  of  Cortina,  and  in  the  evening  drove 
to  Obertsdorf,  a  young  girl  of  nineteen  being  our  excellent 
charioteer. 

Obertsdorf  is  the  principal  town  of  the  Bregenzer  Wald,  which 
is  an  interesting  country,  mountains,  rivers,  and  forests  very 
Tyrolese,  and  the  inhabitants  well  to  do,  in  large  comfortable 
houses — the  young  women  very  pretty,  fair,  and  delicate.  Here 
I  met  Mr.  Carter  and  his  two  daughters,  and  left  my  companions 
in  order  to  make  for  Ober-Ammergau. 

On  the  Thursday  I  started  with  a  guide  over  the  mountains, 
had  a  beautiful  walk  over  a  high  and  difficult  pass  on  which  I  was 
roped  and  pulled  up,  getting  down  about  five  into  the  Led  Thai. 


PASSION-PLA  V. 


333 


I  .^.tarted  early  the  next  morning,  and  got  to  Reuth  about  ten  in 
pcLiring  rain.  Took  another  carriage  on  with  a  German  (from 
Treves),  and  arrived  at  Ober-Ammergau  soon  after  Rose ;  found 
they  had  just  secured  rooms,  and  so  we  met  again.  She  has  told 
you  of  our  enjoyment  of  the  Passion  Play.  I  suppose  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  feel  the  second  time  what  one  felt  at  first,  but  I  quite 
enjoyed  it  this  time,  though  disposed  to  be  more  critical  than  at 
first. 

He  talked  afterwards  of  the  chronological  sequence  of 
some  of  the  scenes  ;  and  in  particular  of  the  transposition 
of  the  Entry  into  Jerusalem  with  the  Supper  at  Bethany, 
the  former  being  chosen  on  account  of  the  dramatic  effect 
for  the  first  scene  of  the  play. 

Here  his  companion-sister  writes  : — 

August  QtVl. 

There  had  been  a  great  uncertainty  about  our  rooms  at  Ober- 
Ammergau,  and  when  Mrs.  B.,  R,  and  I  arrived  there  in  pouring 
rain  on  Friday  afternoon,  we  found  that  all  the  rooms  at  Sebastian 
Zwinck's  were  already  engaged,  and  we  were  in  some  doubt  what 
to  do.  Fortunately  Mr.  Sylvester,  with  whom  we  had  travelled 
from  Munich,  was  most  kind,  and  managed  to  find  two  rooms  near, 
which  we  thankfully  engaged,  and  were  just  settling  in,  when,  to 
our  great  relief,  Charles  arrived.  Our  accommodation  was  primi- 
tive, but  everything  was  clean,  and  the  people  very  civil  and 
attentive.  One  room  was  to  serve  as  a  bedroom  for  the  gentle- 
men and  sitting-room  for  all ;  while  a  room  above,  to  which  the 
only  means  of  access  was  a  ladder  and  trap-door,  was  the  sleeping- 
room  for  Mrs.  B.  and  myself  We  were  fortunate  in  securing 
these,  for  many  arrived  on  Saturday,  and  had  the  greatest  difficulty 
in  finding  any  rooms  disengaged. 

August  14.  The  day  was  very  wet,  but  we  managed  to  get 
out,  and  went  with  Charles  to  the  theatre  to  settle  about  our  places. 
Then  we  went  to  Joseph  Maier's  house,  and  Charles,  who  had 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


lodged  there  in  187 1,  had  a  talk  with  the  wife  and  children,  aijid 
begged  them  all  to  write  their  names  on  a  note  he  had  received 
from  Maier.  The  eldest  little  girl,  he  said,  he  remembered  as 
an  angel  in  one  of  the  tableaux.  They  all  seemed  pleased  to  see 
and  talk  with  him,  and  before  leaving  he  asked  Maier  to  write  his 
name  on  a  photograph  I  had  bought  of  him  in  his  character  of 
the  Christ.  He  met  many  friends  at  Ober-Ammergau,  amongst 
others  a  Dr.  Wood,  and  his  sister-in-law,  Miss  Moorsom,  who 
knew  him  very  well. 

August  15.  This  was  the  day  on  which  I  first  saw  the  Passion 
Play.  We  did  not  get  seats  together,  so  I  did  not  meet  Charles 
till  our  midday  meal.  Afterwards,  in  talking  over  what  we  had 
seen,  he  remarked  that  the  impression  made  on  him  was  not  quite 
the  same  as  at  the  first  time ;  then  he  felt  as  if  he  had  been  at  a 
Retreat,  now  he  was  more  disposed  to  be  critical ;  but  nevertheless 
he  was  much  pleased  and  quite  satisfied.  When  all  was  over  his  first 
feeling  was  to  go  at  once  to  the  church,  and  there  I  found  him, 
and  returned  with  him  to  our  lodgings.  After  dinner  he  said  the 
mental  strain  had  been  so  great  that  he  must  take  a  walk  to 
refresh  himself,  and  we  started  together,  first  trying  to  find  Dr. 
Wood's  lodgings,  which,  after  much  difficulty,  we  succeeded  in 
doing.  Dr.  Wood  and  Miss  Moorsom  joined  us,  and  we  walked 
through  the  village  and  down  the  road.  It  became  so  dark  and 
dirty  that  I  wished  to  return,  but  Charles  said,  "  No,  we  must  go  a 
little  further ; "  so  after  Dr.  Wood  had  left  us,  we  three  went  on, 
skirting  some  fields  at  the  foot  of  a  remarkable  hill,  which  gives  a 
peculiar  character  to  the  scenery  around  the  village.  Charles  v/as 
very  bright  and  amusing,  joking  about  our  late  walk,  and  saying 
that  perhaps  we  should  meet  the  King  of  Bavaria,  who  always 
takes  his  walks  at  night. 

As  we  returned  he  found  a  glow-worm,  which  he  fastened  on 
his  hat  as  a  lantern  to  guide  us  home. 

That  night  Mr.  Swallow  called  to  settle  with  Charles  about  a 
walking  tour  they  wished  to  make  on  leaving  Ober-Ammergau, 
and  then  we  had  accounts  to  settle,  so  that  it  was  late  before  v/e 


PARTENKIRCHEN. 


335 


got  to  bed,  and  as  we  were  to  start  early  the  next  morning,  we  had 
to  rise  betimes. 

By  some  mistake  the  carriage  we  had  ordered  never  came  foi 
us,  so  Charles  had  to  go  into  the  village  to  see  whether  another 
could  be  procured.  He  stood  at  the  door  of  the  chalet  waving 
his  hand  to  us  as  we  drove  off,  and  this  was  my  last  sight  of  him. 

He  left  Ober-Ammergau  with  Mr.  Swallow  at  3  p.m. 
on  Monday,  and  walked  to  Partenkirchen.  It  was  a  very 
hot  day,  and  at  Ettal  he  spent  some  little  time  in  devotion 
in  the  cool  monastery  church,  then  descended  the  hill 
and  bathed  in  the  Loisach,  which  runs  at  its  foot,  after 
plunging  through  some  marshy  ground  to  find  a  secluded 
corner.  At  most  of  the  hotels  at  Partenkirchen  they  found 
all  beds  engaged  by  letter  or  telegram  for  returning  pilgrims 
from  Ammergau,  but  at  last  secured  a  comfortable  room 
opposite  the  beautifully  restored  church,  in  a  dcpendance  of 
the  Hotel  zum  Rassen. 

Next  morning,  August  17th,  they  started  on  an  expedi- 
tion to  the  Schlachten  Alp,  of  which  Mr.  Swallow  gives 
the  following  account : — 

Our  guide,  a  fine  well-built  fellov\^,  had  been  wounded  in 
the  foot  at  Bazeilles,  and  knew  Karl  Hoffman  well ;  upon  which 
ensued  much  interesting  conversation  on  the  fortunes  of  the  \yar, 
and  later,  on  the  king  and  his  \i\m'(mg-scJiloss,  the  goal  of  our 
expedition.  Not  far  from  this  we  turned  aside  to  a  rude  chalet, 
where  lived  for  the  summer  among  their  cattle  a  farmer,  his  wife, 
and  two  bright  Httle  children.  With  the  latter  we  made  friends  as 
V,  c  frugally  feasted  on  a  bowl  of  creaming  milk  apiece  and  schwarzcs 
i  lod.  The  little  boy  Franzl,  as  he  trudged  about  with  Father 
Lowder's  stick,  was  complimented  on  being  a  true  bergsteiger, 
while  the  little  girl  was  at  first  nervous,  clinging  to  her  mother, 
v,  ho  told  us  how  they  kept  up  their  health  in  the  warm  weather 


335 


CHARLES  LOWDER, 


on  the  mountain  side,  and  attended  to  their  lessons  in  the  village 
in  winter.  Along  the  road  we  talked  a  little  of  parish  matters,  the 
friendliness  of  all  the  neighbouring  clergy,  with  one  exception, 
whom  his  Rector,  Mr.  Harry  Jones,  promptly  dismissed  in 
consequence ;  of  the  presently  forthcoming  paper  at  the  Church 
Congress  by  the  Bishop  of  Bedford,  who  had  at  first  shrunk  back 
from  St.  Peter's,  in  fear  that  if  he  came  then  to  open  the  Mission, 
he  would  be  held  responsible  for  all  that  might  be  said  and  done, 
but  afterwards,  on  being  shown  that  this  need  not  be,  or  that,  as  a 
logical  consequence,  he  could  not  venture  to  enter  the  majority  of 
the  churches  in  the  diocese,  had  given  most  kind  assistance, 
holding  at  St.  Peter's  a  special  Confirmation.  At  last  we  reached 
a  curtained  royal  summer-house  on  the  edge  of  a  small  plateau, 
from  which  in  the  sunshine  we  had  a  glorious  view — the  Wetter- 
stein  range  close  on  our  left,  and  in  front  the  Schneeferner  and 
Zugspitze,  with  the  Rainthal  and  its  highly  coloured  lakelest,  the 
Blanc  Gumpen,  between.  Here  we  stayed  for  a  couple  of  hours. 
Father  Lowder  retiring  for  his  meditation,  and  then  returning  to 
enjoy  the  varying  view  as  the  clouds  changed  from  peak  to  peak, 
or  lifted  entirely  just  before  we  came  away.  We  gathered  here 
our  first  Alpine  roses.  At  last  we  reached  the  Partnachklamm, 
which  we  crossed  and  re-crossed  by  a  couple  of  bridges,  between 
which  we  met  Jakob  Rutz,  whom  we  had  seen  on  Sunday  crowned, 
in  a  scarlet  robe,  as  Choragus  at  Ammergau.  A  friend  of  Father 
LcH'der's  had  lodged  with  him,  and  so  he  was  ready,  when 
accosted,  to  tell  us  how  glad  he  was  to  rest  and  refresh  himself 
with  a  holiday  among  changed  scenes  after  all  his  exertions  of 
voice  and  memoiy.  The  Klamm  itself  is  very  grand,  as  the 
frothing  stream  hurries,  hundreds  of  feet  beneath  the  bridge, 
through  its  narrow  rock-hewn  channel,  with  precipitous  cliffs 
reaching  to  the  pinewood  far  above.  At  the  hotel  we  found 
Rumsey  ready  to  join  us  at  Evensong  and  supper. 

The  three  friends  left  Partenkirchen  after  church  and 
breakfast  on  Wednesday  morning,  August  i8th,  in  an 


AUSTRIAN  TYROL. 


337 


eh!s.po.iincy  driven  by  the  wife  of  the  owner.  She  gave 
them  much  information  about  her  family  life,  and  was  in 
return  greatly  complimented  by  Father  Lowder  on  her 
powers  as  kutcheriii.  She  was  very  anxious  when  they 
arrived  at  the  end  of  the  Walchensee  that  the  party  should 
make  the  rest  of  the  journey  by  water,  in  order  to  spare 
her  horse  ;  but  as  it  was  raining,  she  was  held  inexorably 
to  her  bargain  to  take  them  to  the  village  of  Walchen. 

Here  they  slept,  breakfasting  next  morning  on 
delicate  forellen  from  the  lake,  and  crossed  by  water  to 
Urfeld,  at  the  north  end,  walking  from  thence  to  the 
Kcchelsee,  and  amusing  themselves  by  deciphering  the  old 
German  inscriptions  on  tablets  beside  the  road,  which  bore 
records  of  the  troubled  history  of  the  district  in  earlier 
times.  They  crossed  the  lake  to  Kochel,  and  partly  drove, 
partly  walked  to  Tolz,  where  they  slept.  Next  day,  Friday, 
20th,  they  crossed  "  Iser,  rolling  rapidly,"  and  went  by 
train  to  Schaftlach,  where  Father  Lowder  and  Mr.  Rumsey 
left  the  railroad  to  walk  to  Gmiind.  They  spent  most  of 
the  day  on  the  Tegernsee,  and  took  the  diligence  through 
Wildbad-Kreuth  to  their  night's  quarters  at  Achenkirch. 

On  Saturday  they  made  an  early  start  (at  4.30  a.m.), 
reaching  Jenbach  to  breakfast,  and  then  going  to  Worgl  by 
rail.  Here  Father  Lowder  hoped  to  take  up  the  luggage 
which  he  had  entrusted  to  his  sister  to  be  sent  from  Munich 
to  Worgl,  but,  finding  nothing,  he  made  a  weary  and 
fruitless  excursion  to  Kufstein  and  back,  and  followed  Mr 
Rumsey  by  the  last  train  to  Zell-am-See,  thoroughly  tired 
out.  He  could  not  celebrate  next  morning,  as  his  Com- 
munion case  was  in  his  portmanteau,  and  although  after 
church  he  rested  quietly,  the  effects  of  his  over  fatigue 


338 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


on  the  previous  day  began  to  be  apparent.  On  Monday 
morning  he  was  so  unwell  that  he  had  to  leave  the  village 
church  before  the  service  was  ended,  and  was  unable  to 
stay  with  his  friends  till  Matins,  which  he  tried  to  say 
with  them,  were  finished.  He  spent  the  rest  of  Monda}', 
on  which  he  was  to  have  started  for  the  Gross  Venediger, 
in  his  room,  oppressed  by  a  dyspeptic  attack.  He  had 
written  to  his  sister  the  day  before.*  On  Tuesday  he  was 
better,  but  still  unfit  to  travel, 

"During  our  stay  at  the  Krone,"  Mr.  Swallow  wrote, 
"we  were  treated  with  great  courtesy,  and  supplied  with 
English  papers  by  fellow  travellers — the  loan  of  the  Tablet 
in  particular — any  salutes  we  received  from  villagers  here 
or  elsewhere  being  jocosely  passed  on  by  the  Father  as 
intended  for  my  special  benefit.  He  declared  that  any 
sacerdotal  pretension  on  his  own  part  was  discounted  by 
the  grey  suit  and  Panama  hat  which  he  wore,  whilst 
Rumsey's  beard  quite  spoilt  the  effect  of  his  clothes." 

On  Wednesday,  25  th,  Father  Lowder  was  quite  bright 
again,  ran  off  to  the  chemist's  to  get  lint  and  ointment  for 
a  footsore  companion,  and  declared  himself  fit  to  move  on. 
They  set  out  with  two  guides,  taking  the  route  up  the 
Kapruner-Thal.  Mr,  Swallow  gives  the  following  account 
of  the  expedition  : — 

Passing  through  Kaprun,  as  we  lunched  at  a  wayside  inn 
further  up  the  valley,  we  found  two  German  travellers,  who  gave 
us  good  hopes  of  a  successful  ascent  next  day.  The  two  indefati- 
gable bathers  took  an  opportunity  for  a  plunge  in  the  rapid 
stream. 

We  had  left  all  our  baggage,  except  what  was  absolutely  neces- 
*  Sec  p.  333. 


THE  KAPRUNER-THAL. 


339 


sary,  at  the  Krone.  The  rest  was  shouldered  by  our  guides,  whoin, 
as  the  valley  grew  narrower  and  the  road  more  steep,  we  left 
further  and  further  behind.  Beside  the  stream  we  saw  quantities 
of  timber,  which  is  dra\TO  down  over  the  ice  in  winter  (so  we  were 
told),  and  not  far  from  the  road  was  a  fine  waterfall  which  has 
gradually  worn  away  a  deep  passage  through  the  rock.  After 
some  hours  we  came  upon  our  quarters  for  the  night,  the  Rainer- 
hiitte.  We  made  a  hearty  meal  on  such  meat  as  was  to  be  had, 
and  then  took  a  short  rest  lying  on  our  beds.  The  air,  at  about 
five  thousand  feet,  was  rather  keen,  and  we  put  on  our  macin- 
toshes. After  our  rest,  I  found  "  the  Father  "  on  a  little  eminence 
not  far  off,  hoping  (in  vain)  for  a  sight  of  the  rose-coloured  tints 
of  the  setting  sun  upon  one  of  the  snowy  peaks.  Two-thirds  of 
our  bedroom  were  filled  by  five  beds,  placed  close  side  by  side, 
cut  off  from  one  another  by  a  curtain.  Two  wash-stands  in  the 
remaining  third  and  two  small  window-sills  completed  its  furni- 
ture. Arriving  first,  we  had  the  choice  of  beds,  the  other  two 
being  filled  by  German  travellers,  a  third,  who  came  late  in  the 
evening,  putting  up  with  inferior  accommodation  upstairs.  We 
turned  in  at  nine,  to  prepare  for  an  early  start  in  the  morning. 

August  26,  Thursday.  Up  at  3  a.m.  Making  a  hurried  break- 
fast, we  set  out  at  3.45,  our  guides  leading  us  on  at  a  very  rapid  pace, 
in  the  hope  of  catching  up  the  other  party,  which  was  better  led, 
and  had  started  a  quarter  of  an  hour  earlier.  Lighted  by  the  now 
faint  rays  of  the  moon,  we  made  our  way  over  a  rough  and  stony 
steep,  till  we  saw  them  in  the  distance,  and  overtaking  them,  passed 
together  by  the  Mooserboden,  and  soon  our  feet  touched  for  the 
first  time  a  moraine  at  the  foot  of  the  Karlinger  Glacier.  Pre- 
sently, as  we  ascended,  the  rays  of  the  rising  sun  tinged  with  rose 
colour  the  snow  on  the  heights  to  our  right ;  and  in  the  purple 
distance,  miles  away,  but  just  as  if  it  formed  a  sheer  banner  at  the 
foot  of  the  valley,  the  Watzmann  stood  out  in  striking  clearness  as 
we  looked  back.  A  light  refreshment  followed  during  a  brief  halt, 
and  still  climbing  upward  we  soon  struck  the  snow,  to  find  to  our 
dismay  that  our  guides  had  left  their  ropes  behind,  and  had 


340 


CHARLES  LOIVDER. 


nothing  but  a  short  piece  of  cord,  by  which  we  were  tied  to- 
gether at  a  distance  of  less  than  two  yards.  The  cord,  instead  of 
being  secured  to  our  waists,  was  only  long  enough  to  be  passed 
once  round  the  upper  part  of  our  left  arms,  in  a  running  noose, 
which,  on  the  only  occasion  wlien  a  footing  was  difficult,  grew 
tighter  till  it  threatened  to  cut  the  muscle  in  half.  The  other 
party  were  better  supplied,  and  in  their  wake  we  followed,  more 
slowly,  it  is  true,  because  we  were  obliged  to  proceed  with  greater 
caution  over  dangerous  portions  of  the  route.  Fortunately  these 
were  few — a  couple  of  narrow  bridges  over  a  crevasse,  and  in 
descending,  where  there  was  no  bridge  even  of  snow,  an  opening 
over  which  we  had  to  jump  one  by  one,  aided  by  our  guide's 
strong  "  stock."  Our  guides  were  trusting  to  the  example  of  the 
one  belonging  to  the  other  party,  who  was  a  splendid  specimen  of 
humanity  qua  animal,  and  knew  his  business  far  better  than  ours. 
To  keep  up  with  him  our  leader  maintained  a  rapid  pace,  to 
which  at  first  we  were  able  to  respond ;  but  as  the  heavy  work  in 
the  snow  told  on  his  sixty  years.  Father  Lowder  was  obliged  to 
ask  to  be  eased.  The  coldness  of  the  air  had  told  upon  him,  and 
almost  taken  away  his  appetite,  so  that  he  was  physically  weaker 
fiom  this  cause.  After  a  climb  of  some  hours  we  reached  through 
the  Riffel-Thor  our  highest  point  (almost  ten  thousand  feet),  where 
we  waited  more  than  half  an  hour  to  take  food,  and  turn  to 
account  the  splendid  view  of  a  grand  mountain  panorama,  the 
main  features  of  which  were,  of  course,  the  Gross  Glockner  and  its 
companions  close  at  hand.  The  Father  now  was  able  to  eat  with 
somewhat  better  appetite,  but  on  the  descent  was  still  conscious 
of  failing  powers  in  want  of  precision  in  striking  amid  the  deep 
snow  the  exact  footprints  of  those  who  had  gone  before.  At 
length  we  left  the  snow,  and  over  glacier  and  moraine  trudged 
on  till  tlie  Hofmannshiitte  was  in  sight,  at  the  foot  of  a  slope, 
where  we  were  able  to  gather  edelweiss.  We  reached  the  hut 
about  2  p.m.,  and  then  the  others  rested,  while  I  went  on  with 
t'ie  guides  to  order  dinner  for  four  o'clock  at  the  Neues  Glockner- 
haus,  built  for  the  use  of  mountaineers  by  the  Austrian  Alpine 


OVER  THE  RIFFEL-THOR. 


Club.  The  situation  of  tlie  house,  opposite  the  Gross  Glockner, 
the  Father's  "  old  love,"  and  on  the  edge  of  the  Pasterzen  Glacier, 
is  unequalled ;  its  accommodation  supplies  every  necessary  com- 
fort in  most  cleanly  fashion,  and  the  food,  even  without  hunger- 
sauce  or  the  keen  air,  would  be  found  appetizing  at  any  altitude. 
We  had  some  amusement  in  the  delight  of  one  of  our  friends  at 
sleeping  more  than  six  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea  ; 
and  found  entries  in  the  visitors'  book,  interesting  or  entertaining, 
one  of  which,  MTitten  by  an  old  friend,  the  Father  determined  to 
criticise  in  an  expostulatory  postcard.  As  may  be  imagined,  after 
our  long  day's  work  we  went  "  early  to  bed." 

Of  this  expedition  Mr.  Lowdcr's  other  companion,  Mr. 
Rumsey  says  : — 

The  walk  of  Thursday,  26th,  was  with  much  fatigue  to  Father 
Lowder.  We  started,  I  think,  about  4  a.m.,  and  walked  fast  at 
first,  as  our  guides  were  not  up  to  much,  and  were  anxious  to 
overtake  two  parties  who  started  a  quarter  of  an  hour  before  us. 
Father  Lowder  felt  this  fast  walking,  and  spoke  of  it  as  inju- 
dicious in  the  guides.  When  we  came  to  the  snow  (perhaps  about 
7  a.m.),  it  appeared  that  our  guides  had  forgotten  their  rope,  and 
had  borrowed  a  short  and  poor  bit  of  box-cord  from  a  place  at 
which  we  had  lunched  on  Wednesday.  This  negligence  added  to 
our  fatigue  by  forcing  us  to  be  tied  so  close  together  as  almost 
to  tread  on  one  another's  heels.  We  kept  up  with  the  two  other 
parties  (six  people  in  all)  until  we  reached  the  top  of  the  pass 
(about  eleven  o'clock  ?).  Father  Lowder  here  spoke  of  feeling 
painfully  the  rarity  of  the  air,  and  henceforward  we  walked  very 
slowly,  allowing  the  others  to  go  away  much  faster.  At  about 
three  o'clock  we  reached  a  hut  at  which  four  of  our  late  com- 
panions were  already  preparing  to  make  a  night,  previous  to 
some  other  ascent  next  day  (two  having  pushed  on).  Here 
we  were  only  one  hour  from  our  destination,  so  Mr.  Swallow 
pushed  on  with  one  guide  to  secure  beds  for  us,  while  Father 


342 


CHARLES  LOWBER. 


Lowder  and  I  and  the  other  guide  waited  for  an  hour  or  two's 
rest. 

On  Friday,  while  I  walked  with  Swallow,  who  was  leaving  us 
to  return  to  England,  Father  Lowder  walked  down  to  Heiligenblut, 
about  three  miles,  and  back.  He  had  not  been  able  to  eat  well 
on  Thursday's  walk,  nor  since ;  but  on  Saturday  he  and  I  went 
out  for  a  stroll,  and  he  much  enjoyed  a  cold  chicken  we  took 
with  us,  and  seemed  much  better. 

He  wrote  to  his  sister  on  Friday  : — 

Neues  Glocknerliaus,  Heiligenblut,  August  27. 

My  dear  Mary, 

You  know  my  present  standpoint  two  hours  above 
Heiligenblut,  which  we  reached  yesterday.  When  I  wrote  from 
Zell-am-See  on  Sunday,  I  told  Annie  that  I  would  tell  you  how  I 
got  to  Zell-am-See.  I  left  Ammergau  with  Swallow,  a  curate  of 
Clewer,  and  walked  to  Partenkirchen.  We  had  a  beautiful  wallc 
the  next  day  to  the  Schlachten  Alp,  where  there  is  a  chalet  of  the 
King  of  Bavaria,  with  a  splendid  view  of  the  Wetterstein  range. 
We  were  joined  by  Rumsey,  Rector  of  Burnham,  Berks,  and 
drove  to  the  Walchensee.  Slept  there,  and  next  day  by  lake  and 
road,  boating,  walking,  driving,  on  by  the  Kochelsee  to  Tolz ;  slept 
there.  By  train  to  Schaftlach  ;  walked  to  the  Tegernsee,  where  we 
had  two  storms,  one  a  gi-and  thunderstorm  while  rowing  on  the 
lake.  Then  by  Stellwagen  to  Wilbad-Kreut,  and  Postwagen  to 
Achenkirch,  slept  there;  up  at  4  a.m.  By  Achensee  in  another 
storm  to  Jenbach,  and  so  on  to  Worgl ;  but  not  finding  the  port- 
manteau I  had  sent  by  Rose  to  Munich  to  forward,  I  went  to 
Kufstein,  but  no  portmanteau.  Rumsey  went  to  Zell-am-See ;  I 
followed  by  a  later  train.  Swallow  rejoined  us  on  Sunday.  I  was 
not  well,  so  did  not  start  till  Wednesday.  Had  a  fine  walk  to  the 
Rainerhiitte  in  the  Kapruner-Thal.  Started  at  3.45  a.m.  over  the 
Riffel-Thor,  and  a  great  deal  of  difficult  snow  to  the  Hoffmans- 
hiitte  right  through  the  heart  of  the  Glockner  Gruppe,  making  up 
the  connection  of  an  excursion  I  made  in  1871,  of  which  I  found 


LAST  EDELWEIS. 


343 


the  record  in  the  book  of  the  Hoffmanshiitte.  We  have  had 
some  storms  on  our  way,  but  nothing  to  hurt  or  drive  us  back.  I 
fear  I  may  have  lost  my  portmanteau  with  money,  ;^i6  or  ;^i7, 
and  other  things— the  small  Communion  case,  etc.  Swallow 
leaves  us  here,  and  takes  this  to  Zell-am-See  (Krone)  Thursday 
or  Friday.  I  am  here  with  a  very  small  allowance  of  clothes,  as 
they  are  in  my  portmanteau;  only  socks  to  change,  so  I  doubt 
about  getting  far.  I  have  had  very  pleasant  companions ;  Rumsey 
and  I  remain  together  for  another  week. 

I  send  this  at  once  with  all  good  wishes  and  prayers  for  your 
birthday.  I  have  not  been  down  to  Heiligenblut  for  letters,  and 
am  going  down  soon.  .  .  . 

Yours  very  aftectionately, 

Charles. 

P.S. — I  am  very  well  after  very  hard  work  yesterday.  Edel- 
weis  I  picked  at  Hoffmannshiitte. 

He  was  now  in  the  very  heart  of  the  country  which  he 
had  long  loved  well,  and  was  about  to  accomplish  the  most 
cherished  project  of  this  his  last  tour.  It  was  evident  to 
his  companions  that  "  the  mountains  themselves,  and  any- 
thing connected  with  them,  had  grown  to  be  very  close  to 
his  heart.  From  Oberstdorf  until  this  last  ascent  had 
become  an  accomplished  fact,  they  formed  a  constant  topic 
of  conversation.  At  one  time  he  would  recur  to  the  past, 
and  detail  his  experiences  of  'Ein  und  Siebenzig,'  the 
ascent  of  the  Gross  Glockner,  the  climbing  of  *  drei 
Spitzen  in  Einem  Tag '  (the  three  peaks  being  the  Baren- 
kopf,  Glockerin,  and  Gross  Wiesbachhorn) — a  feat  which 
sometimes  was  recounted  amid  the  raised  eyebrows  and 
doubting  looks  of  some  of  our  less  venturesome  guides  ; 
his  connection  with  the  inauguration  of  the  Hofmannshiitte 
and  memorial  of  Karl  Hofmann,  a   Bavarian  soldier- 


344 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


mouutainecr,  whom  he  had  himself  known,  and  who  ha-.' 
fallen  at  Sedan  in  1870,  and  the  courtesy  of  Herr  Stiidl 
upon  that  occasion." 

Mr.  Rumsey  notes  that  when,  at  Ober-Ammergau,  he 
and  Father  Lowder  planned  to  get  some  walking  together 
in  the  Tyrol,  "  he  specially  had  in  view  an  ascent  of  the 
Gross  Venediger  from  the  first."  Mr.  Rumsey  adds  : — 

On  S?tyrday  I  walked  with  Father  Lowder  on  the  Upper 
Pfandl  Gletscher,  and  in  the  evening  we  walked  down  to  Heiligen- 
blut.  Our  accommodation  at  Heiligenblut  for  Sunday  was  very 
rough,  but  Father  Lowder  enjoyed  the  place,  and  the  church,  and 
a  procession  of  all  the  villagers.  It  was  a  wet  afternoon,  and 
a  party  in  the  house  drinking  were  rather  noisy.  It  was  very 
striking  to  hear  them  suddenly  sing  the  Angelus,  and  then  continue 
their  revelry. 

On  Monday  (August  30)  we  were  to  have  walked  only  to 
Kals,  and  the  following  day  to  Windisch  Matrei,  but  it  was  owing 
to  my  evident  anxiety  to  push  on  that  Father  Lowder  took  so 
long  a  walk,  and  then  felt  unequal  to  much  exertion  on  Tuesday. 

They  walked  to  Windisch  Matrei  in  bad  weather  on 
Monday,  and  on  Tuesday  Father  Lowder  rested,  in  prepa- 
ration for  the  ascent  next  day.  He  wrote  a  note  to  his 
brother,  the  last  in  his  own  handwriting  received  by  any  of 
his  family : — 

Windisch  Matrei,  Austria,  August  31. 

My  dear  Willie, 

I  only  got  your  letter  of  the  21st  yesterday,  just  as  I 
was  leaving  Heiligenblut  for  a  nine  hours'  walk  over  here.  I  take 
advantage  of  a  day's  rest  to  write  the  enclosed,  which  you  can 
forward  if  in  time  to  do  any  good.  Love  to  Janie.  I  hope  to  be 
home  on  September  13. 

(No  signature.) 


THE  GROSS  VENEDIGER. 


345 


He  enclosed  letters  to  three  Charterhouse  governors. 

Father  Lowder  and  Mr.  Rumsey  made  part  of  the 
ascent  towards  the  Gross  Venediger  on  Wednesday,  Sep- 
tember I,  with  one  guide,  taking  luncheon  at  the  Tauern- 
haus,  passing  through  Gschloss  and  sleeping  at  the  Prager 
Hutte.  "He  seemed  to  be  very  comfortable  on  that  walk," 
Mr.  Rumsey  said,  "and  to  enjoy  it  very  much.  We 
bathed  about  midday  (as  we  often  did)  in  a  clear  stream." 
They  started  next  morning  at  2  a.m.,  and  Mr.  Rumsey 
notes  that  Father  Lowder  "seemed  very  well  during  the 
ascent,  and  walked  briskly  and  strongly,  and  with  great 
enjoyment  of  the  morning." 

Before  sunrise  he  was  on  the  summit,  gazing  upon  the 
wonderful  panoramic  view  which  for  nine  years  he  had 
longed  to  see  : — 

"  One  crowded  hour  of  glorious  life," 

to  him  who  was  about  to  enter  into  the  fulness  of  life  and 
beauty.  Mr.  Rumsey  writes  that  "  the  ascent  was  in  perfect 
weather ;  a  sharp  frost,  and  the  snow  beautifully  hard. 
And  the  view  from  the  summit  was  perfect ;  the  clouds  all 
below  in  the  valleys,  but  the  peaks  clear  in  every  direction. 
We  could  not  stay  more  than  twenty  minutes,  because  of 
the  cold." 

After  they  had  gone  down  a  little  way,  Mr.  Rumsey 
proposed  that  they  should  go  back,  and  look  once  more 
at  the  view  from  the  summit.  But  Father  Lowder  said, 
"  No,  it  is  a  Krfj/^a  iq  an* — I  can  never  forget  it."  They 
reached  the  hut  at  8  a.m.,  slept  there  for  an  hour,  and  then 
walked  to  Gschloss  on  the  way  to  Mittersill,  bathing,  and 
saying  their  English  matin  office  in  a  little  chapel. 

*  "  A  possession  for  ever." 


3^6 


CHARLES  LOWDER, 


Mr.  Rumsey  was  obliged  to  push  on  that  day  to 
Mittersill,  another  seven  hours'  walk  ;  he  persuaded  Father 
Lowder  not  to  attempt  to  accompany  him,  on  account 
of  the  fatigue,  and  about  half  a  mile  from  Tauernhaus 
the  friends  parted,  the  guide  going  on  with  Mr.  Rumsey 
and  carrying  Father  Lowder's  bag,  out  of  which  he  took 
bare  necessaries  for  one  night.  He  decided  to  sleep  at 
Tauernhaus,  a  tolerable  inn  where  they  had  dined  on 
Wednesday,  and  two  Austrians,  with  whom  they  had 
made  the  ascent,  were  also  to  sleep  there  that  night,  and 
come  on  with  him  to  Mittersill  next  day.  Mr.  Rumsey 
afterwards  wrote  to  his  sister : — 

I  felt  quite  comfortable  about  him,  having  persuaded  him  to 
take  the  walk  comfortably  the  next  day  instead  of  hurrying  on 
with  me.  He  spoke  several  times  of  getting  thin  with  walking, 
and  said  that  when  I  was  obliged  to  go,  he  should  go  to  some 
place  with  a  good  table  d'lwte  and  feed  up  before  his  return.  He 
was  enthusiastically  fond  of  that  neighbourhood,  and  we  were 
taking  a  course  through  it  which  brought  him  to  some  of  his 
favourite  places,  yet  in  new  combinations,  so  as  generally  to  get 
over  new  gi-ound.  I  quite  hoped  he  had  got  over  his  illness, 
and  would,  after  a  little  rest,  return  home  refreshed  and  strength- 
ened. 

Of  the  next  few  days  we  know  nothing.  He  must 
have  gone  to  Mittersill  and  slept  there  on  Friday,  Sep- 
tember 3,  as  he  took  up  his  bag  and  umbrella,  which  Mr. 
Rumsey  had  left  there.  The  visitors'  book  at  the  Hotel 
Krone  shows  that  he  arrived  at  Zell-am-See  on  September 
4, — the  head  waiter  said,  in  heavy  rain.  Zell-am-See  is 
four  hours'  drive  from  Mittersill,  and  two  coaches  run  daily 
between  them.    The  hotel  being  full,  he  was  sent  to  thf 


\ 


ILLA^ESS. 


347 


di'pendance  close  by,  a  little  chalet.  They  said  at  the  hotel 
that  on  Sunday  he  came  in  for  his  meals  and  seemed  well. 
On  Monday  he  remained  in  his  room,  and  he  never  left 
it ;  he  sent  for  the  village  doctor,  who  came  again  on 
Tuesday.  Then  the  doctor  became  ill,  and  on  Wednesday 
another  doctor  came,  who  told  him  to  keep  in  bed,  and 
sent  for  a  nurse.  About  2  p.m.,  Mr.  and  Mrs,  Ffoulkes 
Taylor  and  their  two  daughters  arrived  from  Salzburg, 
intending  to  stay  only  one  night  at  Zell.  They  spent  the 
afternoon  on  the  lake  and  in  sight-seeing,  and  their  seven 
o'clock  meal  was  being  prepared,  when  the  head  waiter 
said  he  had  a  favour  to  ask  of  Mr.  Taylor :  would  he  go  to 
the  chalet  d^pendance  and  see  an  English  clergyman,  who 
was  ill  there,  and  wanted  a  letter  written  for  him  ?  Mr. 
Taylor  immediately  went  to  him,  and  he  introduced  him- 
self as  an  English  clergyman,  named  Lowder.  "  Oh,  Father 
Lowder,"  Mr.  Taylor  replied.  "I  have  heard  you  preach 
at  Folkestone,  and  I  know  your  sister  Rose."  He  did  not 
think  from  appearances  that  there  was  much  the  matter 
except  a  chill,  as  Mr.  Lowder  chatted  cheerfully  about  his 
ascent  of  the  Venediger,  and  the  great  enjoyment  he  had 
had.  After  a  short  visit,  Mr.  Taylor  said  he  would  go  back 
to  the  hotel  for  tea,  and  return  afterwards.  Between  eight 
and  nine  he  came  back  to  the  chalet,  and  wrote  from 
Father  Lowder's  dictation  the  following  letter : — 

Hotel  Krone,  Zell-am-See,  September  8,  i88o. 

My  dear  Annie, 

I  am  sorry  to  have  to  write  by  another  hand,  but  I 
have  been  laid  up  for  a  few  days  by  a  severe  attack  of  colic,  brought 
on  by  overstrain  in  mountaineering,  and  especially  by  ascending 
the  Gross  Venediger  on  Thursday.   I  have  had  to  call  in  a  doctor, 


348 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


and  I  hope  I  have  got  some  relief,  but  I  shall  not  be  able  to  get 
home  by  the  "time  I  had  hoped,  and  may  have  to  stay  in  Munich 
to  look  after  my  lost  portmanteau,  which  may  be  stolen.  I  shall 
be  at  Belle  Vue,  Munich,  but  the  rest  must  depend  on  my  getting 
up  some  strength.  Please  to  write  to  Mr.  Wainwright  and  say 
how  it  is  that  I  shall  not  be  able  to  get  to  St.  Peter's  when  I 
expected.  I  will  write  myself  as  soon  as  I  am  able.  Mr.  Ffoulkes 
Taylor,  a  friend  of  Rose's,  is  kind  enough  to  write  this  note. 
With  best  love  to  all, 

Your  affectionate  brother, 

Charles. 

On  his  return  to  the  hotel  Mr.  Taylor  looked  grave, 
and  told  his  family  they  must  not  leave  Zell  as  soon  as 
they  had  intended.  He  had  left  the  nurse  in  attendance, 
desiring  her  to  send  for  him  if  he  should  be  wanted.  Be- 
tween 12  and  I  a.m.  he  was  called  up,  and  told  that  Mr. 
Lowder  was  worse  and  wished  to  see  him.  He  went  at 
once,  taking  his  daughter  with  him,  as  he  could  not  speak 
German.  Outside  the  room  they  found  the  doctor  and 
the  priest,  who  had  been  sent  for  by  the  nurse,  but  had 
not  as  yet  been  in  the  sick  room.  Mr.  Taylor  went  in 
alone  to  Father  Lowder.  The  inflammation  had  increased, 
and  he  told  Mr.  Taylor  that  the  doctor  thought  he  could  not 
live  till  morning.  He  was  perfectly  calm  and  composed ; 
at  his  request  telegrams  were  sent  to  his  brother  and 
to  his  sister :  "  Charles  Lowder  is  sick ;  come  at  once." 
Mr,  Taylor  then  assisted  him  to  put  his  signature  to 
some  papers  of  importance,  which  he  told  him  where 
to  find,  and  these  he  gave,  with  his  watch  and  money, 
into  Mr.  Taylor's  care.  Then  he  dictated  the  following 
words :  — 


LAST  WISHES. 


349 


"  I  leave  all  my  books  to  my  brother,  tlie  Rev.  W.  H, 
Lowder. 

"  The  little  money  I  have,  to  my  sisters. 

"  If  in  consecrated  ground,  here  I  wish  to  be  buried  ;  if 
not,  at  Chislehurst. 

"  I  send  my  blessing  to  the  Sisters  and  clergy  in  my 
parish." 

Mr.  Taylor  took  the  papers  and  valuables  at  once  to 
the  hotel  to  be  locked  up,  and  his  daughter  took  his  place 
by  Father  Lowder.  She  asked  him  if  he  would  like  to  see 
the  priest,  who  was  waiting  outside,  and  as  he  consented, 
she  brought  in  the  priest.  He  went  up  to  the  bed  and 
shook  hands  with  Father  Lowder ;  the  nurse  left  the  room. 
Miss  Taylor  has  related  what  passed  in  the  following 
words : — 

The  priest,  a  simple  but  kind  man,  asked  me  if  he  could  be 
of  use  to  confess  him.  I  replied,  "That  I  cannot  say;  he  is  a 
Catholic,  but  not  a  Roman  Catholic."  The  priest  did  not  seem 
to  know  what  to  do,  and  tried  to  explain  :  "Does  he  believe  in 
the  Pope?  "  "  No,"  I  replied,  "  not  as  you  believe  in  him."  Mr. 
Lowder  had  expressed  a  wish  to  be  buried  here,  if  in  consecrated 
ground,  so  I  asked  the  priest ;  but  he  said  it  was  impossible,  as  he 
was  not  a  Roman  Catholic.  Mr.  Lowder  being  willing  to  see 
the  priest,  I  went  in  with  him-  to  interpret  (if  need  be),  at  my 
father's  wish.  He  seemed  quite  able  to  speak,  and  in  German 
said  he  was  an  Anglican  priest,  and  asked  if  he  could  have  the 
blessed  Sacrament  administered  to  him.  This  was  not  possible. 
Then  Mr.  Lowder  asked  the  priest  if  he  would  give  him  his 
blessing.  The  priest  put  on  a  stole,  and  said  something  in  Latin 
which  I  failed  to  follow.  He  then  asked  Mr.  Lowder  if  he  should 
come  in  the  morning,  which  was  acquiesced  in,  and  as  he  went 
out  Mr.  Lowder  turned  to  me  and  said  in  a  clear  voice,  "  You  are 


350 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


witness  that  I  die  in  the  faith  of  the  Anghcan  Church,  for  they 
may  say  that  I  died  a  Roman  CathoHc ; "  and  I  answered,  "  I 
am."  My  father  then  returned,  and  I  mentioned  this  incident  to 
him. 

Father  Lowder  then  thanked  Mr.  and  Miss  Taylor  for 
coming,  and  shook  hands  with  them.  This  was  his  fare- 
well ;  after  this  he  spoke  no  more  to  them,  except  to 
mention  the  prayers  and  psalms  that  he  wished  for.  Miss 
Taylor  asked  him  if  he  would  like  any  reading  or  prayers, 
and  he  asked  for  the  Penitential  Psalms.  Mr.  Taylor 
began  to  read,  but  as  his  voice  seemed  to  be  too  loud  for 
the  sick  man's  nerves,  he  gave  the  book  to  his  daughter, 
and  she  read  the  remainder,  Father  Lowder  telling  her  the 
number  of  each.  He  then  wished  for  the  "  Prayer  for  a 
Happy  Death,"  and  a  Confession  of  Sin  from  the  "  Vade 
Mecum."  She  knelt  down,  the  nurse,  who  was  weeping, 
holding  the  candle  for  her,  and  read  the  prayers,  Father 
Lowder  joining  in  the  Lord's  Prayer.  The  pain  seemed  to 
increase,  and  he  asked  for  the  Commendatory  Prayer ; 
they  brought  him  fresh  medicine  just  then,  which  he  took, 
and  then  asked  again  for  the  prayer,  saying  "  Amen " 
distinctly  at  its  conclusion.  "After  that,"  Miss  Taylor 
said,  "  he  turned  his  face  to  the  wall,  and  apparently  left 
this  world  and  its  cares,  and  held  communion  with  his 
God."  He  became  so  quiet  that  Mr,  and  Miss  Taylor 
thought  he  was  going  to  sleep,  and  left  him  in  charge  of 
the  nurse,  telling  her  to  call  them  if  there  was  any  change 
for  the  worse. 

They  were  summoned  at  half-past  four  in  the  morning, 
as  he  was  much  worse,  and  had  been  restless.  When  they 
arrived,  he  was  sinking  fast,  but  in  perfect  peace  and  rest 


DEATH. 


The  pain  was  gone,  but  mortification  had  begun,  and  at 
'ive  in  the  morning  of  September  9,  the  anniversary  of  his 
father's  death,  he  passed  away, — so  gently,  that  ]\Iiss  Taylor 
could  not  believe  that  all  was  over,  and  begged  a  servant 
who  was  in  the  room  to  bring  a  looking-glass.  But  no 
dimness  passed  over  it — the  spirit  had  returned  to  God. 

"  The  peasants  belonging  to  the  chalet  were  round  the 
bed,"  Miss  Taylor  said,  "  reverently  waiting  and  praying, 
and  one  of  them  sprinkled  the  bed  with  holy  water." 
When  the  English  friends  returned,  they  found  flowers  all 
around  him,  a  cross  of  asters  on  his  breast,  and  a  crucifix, 
which  the  priest  had  sent,  in  his  hands — "his  face,"  they 
said,  "  like  one  of  the  paintings  of  the  saints  of  old." 

The  master  of  the  hotel  and  all  the  servants  had  been 
kind  and  thoughtful,  and  the  peasant  nurse  had  been  full 
of  real  tenderness.  Her  letter,*  written  some  months  after- 
wards to  Father  Lowder's  sisters,  is  too  beautiful  and 
touching  to  be  withheld  from  those  for  whom  this  record  is 
chiefly  written — his  friends  and  mourning  parishioners  at 
St.  Peter's-in-the-East. 

My  dear  Friends, 

I  can  no  longer  keep  silence,  for  the  thanks  I  owe  you 
press  heavily,  though  sweetly,  on  my  heart.  My  dear  friends,  I 
thank  you  a  thousand  times  for  all  your  love  and  friendliness ;  j^ou 
can  never  be  forgotten  by  me.  I  can  never  think  of  you  and  of 
your  departed  brother,  and  of  the  sorrow  which  pressed  so  heavily 
on  you  in  the  past  year,  without  many  tears. 

Yes,  my  dear  sisters  and  brother  in  Christ,  when  I  think  over 
all  the  severe  pain  which  your  brother  suffered,  and  his  invincible 
patience,  my  heart  breaks.    I  thank  God  that  He  so  ordered  it 

*  Written  in  German  patois. 


352 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


that  I  should  have  the  honour  of  nursing  so  good  a  priest  in  his 
last  sickness.  When  I  was  summoned  to  him,  what  joy  it  was  for 
me  to  hear  that  he  was  a  priest.  I  was  at  the  time  in  church  at 
my  devotions.  I  quickly  rose  up  and  went  to  your  brother.  The 
doctor  was  then  in  the  room  with  him ;  he  gave  his  patient  into 
my  care,  and  told  me  how  I  ought  to  nurse  him.  The  sick  gen- 
tleman looked  quite  imploringly  at  me.  I  can  well  imagine  the 
struggle  there  must  have  been  in  his  heart,  to  feel  himself  sur- 
rounded by  strangers,  in  a  strange  land.  What  a  hard  trial  it  was 
for  him  !  I  could  only  weep  and  pray  for  him,  and  offer  his  great 
sufferings  to  God.  I  spared  no  trouble,  and  he  expressed  his 
thankfulness  to  me,  the  greatest  proof  that  he  was  satisfied  with 
my  services.  But  all  was  in  vain !  he  became  worse  hour  by 
hour ;  he  had  already  the  presentiment  that  he  was  going  to  die. 
Oh,  how  my  heart  trembled  when  I  saw  that  all  was  in  vain  ! 

It  was  about  eleven  o'clock  at  night  that  your  brother  asked 
me,  "Is  the  doctor  gone  to  bed?"  I  said,  "Yes,  sir;  shall  I  call 
him?"  He  answered,  "Yes."  I  went  for  him  directly,  and  he 
came  quickly.  Oh,  what  were  my  feelings  when  your  brother 
asked  the  doctor,  "  What  do  you  think,  doctor  ?  Do  you  really 
think  there  is  any  more  hope  ?  /  think  not.  I  think  it  will  not 
last  much  longer.    I  must  die." 

The  doctor  spoke  encouragingly,  and  tried  another  prescrip- 
tion, but  all  was  in  vain.  About  twelve  o'clock  he  sent  for  the 
English ;  they  arranged  everything,  and  then  they  prayed,  and 
your  brother  himself  directed  them  what  to  pray. 

I  did  for  him  all  I  saw  he  wished.  I  wiped  from  his  brow  the 
sweat  of  death,  which  now  covered  his  face  like  dew,  so  that 
henceforth,  O  beloved  in  Christ,  I  could  do  nothing  else  than 
weep,  so  deeply  did  I  feel,  as  I  saw  him  with  trembling  hands 
signing  his  name,  and  the  tears  falling  down  over  his  face.  Oh, 
how  hard  it  is  to  die  amongst  strangers  ! 

He  often  held  me  with  both  hands  from  the  greatness  of  the 
pain,  for  he  had  very  great  difficulty  in  breathing.  The  English 
then  went  back  to  bed. 


MARIA  NEUMAIER'S  LETTER. 


353 


When  I  was  again  alone  with  him  your  brother  took  nothing 
but  a  little  water.  It  was  four  in  the  morning,  and  the  Angelus 
bell  sounded  loud  in  that  room,  and  the  sick  man  clasped  his 
hands  over  his  head  and  gave  a  deep  sigh.  Suddenly  he  turned 
himself  towards  me  as  though  he  would  take  hold  of  me ;  bowed 
his  head ;  uttered  a  loud  exclamation,  and  became  unconscious. 
Then  began  the  death  struggle,  which  your  brother  victoriously 
sustained,  and  then  gently  fell  asleep,  and  so  went  up  to  that 
place  where  there  is  no  more  grief  or  tears,  to  receive  his  eternal 
reward.  Oh,  my  never-to-be-forgotten  friends,  I  was  convinced 
that  your  brother  was  a  good  man,  for  he  asked  me  to  place  the 
crucifix  at  the  foot  of  the  bed,  that  he  might  see  it  better.  Oh, 
what  joy  for  me  !  I  prayed  to  the  Mother  of  God  that  she  would 
aid  him  in  the  last  conflict,  for  she  is  ever  the  Mother  of  the  dying. 

And  after  he  had  departed,  I  washed  him  and  closed  his 
mouth  and  eyes ;  and  then  we  dressed  him  and  laid  him  on  the 
bed,  and  I  decked  him  with  fresh  flowers,  and  I  could  not  restrain 
my  tears,  so  grieved  I  was  that  he  should  die  in  a  foreign  land.  I 
could  not  leave  him  without  sorrow,  for  your  brother  had  so 
endeared  himself  to  me  during  his  last  illness.   God  ordered  it  all. 

My  dear  friends,  I  have  a  great  favour  to  ask  you,  if  it  is 
possible.  I  ask  for  a  photograph  of  your  departed  brother,  or,  if 
you  have  not  one  of  him,  I  ask  for  one  of  yourself  or  of  your 
sisters.  Who  knows  if  we  may  yet  see  each  other  once  more? 
I  am  often  in  spirit  in  England,  in  the  midst  of  you.  Oh,  what 
pleasure  if  you  will  send  me  a  remembrance.  Since  your  depar- 
ture from  Zell  I  have  heard  nothing  of  you.  I  thought  you  must 
either  have  quite  forgotten  me,  which  I  cannot  be  offended  at, 
or  you  have  no  suitable  memento,  which  may  easily  be.  I  hope, 
however,  to  receive  one  from  your  kindness,  when  you  have  one, 
which  would  be  dear  to  me  all  my  life;  therefore  I  pray  you  to 
send  me  something,  if  it  is  possible.  I  beg  you  earnestly  to  send 
me  at  least  an  answer  quickly.  And  if  you  wish,  I  will  send 
another  photograph  with  my  hat  on,  which  I  shall  be  much  pleased 
to  do. 

2  A 


354 


CHARLES  LOWDER, 


Meanwhile  I  kiss  your  hand  for  your  great  kindness,  and 
remain, 

Your  grateful  and  indebted  friend, 

Maria  Neumaier, 
Sick  nurse  to  your  brother  at  Zell-am-See, 

There  is  at  Salzburg  a  convent  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity, 
and  they  have  a  branch  house  at  Zell-am-See.  Here,  until 
his  bereaved  ones  could  arrive,  the  Sisters  received  into 
their  care  all  that  was  mortal  of  Charles  Lowder.  He  had 
chosen  hardness  and  toil  as  his  portion  in  life,  and  had 
fought  on,  faint,  yet  pursuing  ;  for  He  whom  he  loved  and 
followed  is  a  Man  of  war.  Now,  at  last,  he  slept  in  peace, 
reverently  watched  by  the  daughters  of  St.  Vincent  de 
Paul,  the  saint  whose  example  had  kindled  in  him  that 
ardour  for  the  battle  which  burned  steadily  and  brightly  to 
the  end. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


BURIAL. 
1880. 

"Why  march  ye  forth  with  hymn  and  chant, 
Ye  veteran  soldiers  jubilant, 
As  though  ye  went  to  lay  to  rest 
Some  warrior  that  had  done  his  best  ?  " 

They  said,  who  knew  the  truth,  that  when  the  tidings  from 
Zell-am-See  reached  St.  Peter's-in-the-East,  and  spread 
through  court  and  alley,  there  were  stricken  hearts,  in 
homes  so  poor  and  wretched  that  they  might  be  thought 
beyond  the  sympathies  of  life,  crouching  over  the  few 
embers  in  the  grate,  too  crushed  to  speak,  almost  too 
crushed  to  think,  but  trying  to  take  in  the  meaning  of  the 
words,  "  Father  Lowder's  dead." 

The  telegram,  sent  at  midnight  on  Wednesday,  reached 
Chislehurst  about  eight  on  Thursday  morning,  September  9. 
The  sisters  left  England  by  the  first  boat  after  receiving 
it,  travelled  three  days  and  two  nights  without  stopping, 
and  arrived  at  Zell  at  nine  on  Saturday  night.  From 
Mr.  Taylor  they  learned  that  their  brother  had  departed 
before  the  telegram  had  reached  them.  He  took  them 
to  the  convent  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  where  in  a 
mortuary  room,  with  an  altar  in  a  recess  at  one  end,  the 


356 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


closed  coffin  lay.  Mr.  Taylor  had  caused  a  piece  of  glass 
to  be  inserted  in  the  lid.  Close  to  this  room  were  the 
schoolrooms  of  children  taught  by  the  Sisters,  beauti- 
fully clean,  and  nicely  fitted  up.  "  The  view  over  the  lake 
was  lovely  from  the  windows,"  his  sister  said,  "and  we 
thought  how  pleased  he  would  have  been  to  see  the  chil- 
dren so  well  cared  for."  A  large  wreath  of  flowers  and  a 
cross  of  edelweis  had  been  placed  on  the  coffin ;  they  were 
brought  to  England  and  laid  on  the  grave. 

When  it  was  rumoured  in  the  parish  that  the  remains 
would  probably  be  interred  in  Austria,  on  account  of  the 
great  expense  of  bringing  them  to  England,  the  St.  Peter's 
branch  of  the  Church  of  England  Working-Men's  Society 
met,  and  at  once  subscribed  ;^'30,  telegraphing  to  guarantee 
all  further  expenses,  and  to  entreat  that  nothing  might 
prevent  the  body  of  "  the  Father "  from  being  brought 
home. 

The  strain  and  distress  of  the  parishioners  at  St.  Peter's, 
and  especially  of  the  clergy  and  Sisters,  were  greatly 
increased  by  the  extreme  difficulty  of  arranging  for  the 
funeral,  as  there  was  no  time  for  anything  but  telegrams 
between  London  and  Zell,  while  hundreds  of  inquiries 
were  coming  in  from  those,  in  all  parts  of  England, 
who  wished  to  attend.  At  length  Friday,  September  17, 
was  fixed  upon,  as  it  was  hoped  that  the  precious  burden 
would  arrive  on  Thursday  night.  It  was  to  lie  all  night  in 
the  little  oratory  of  the  Sisters'  house,  the  first  room  where 
he  had  gathered  a  few  together  in  the  early  days  of  the 
Calvert  Street  Mission.  But  at  the  last  moment,  late  on 
Thursday  night,  a  telegram  arrived  from  the  mourners  at 
Zell,  putting  the  funeral  off  till  the  following  Tuesday, 


NIGHT  BEFORE  THE  BURIAL. 


357 


as  they  feared  that  the  body  could  not  arrive  even  on 
Friday. 

It  was  impossible  now  to  put  off  the  great  numbers  of 
country  clergy  who  were  to  arrive  next  morning ;  besides 
the  poor  people,  at  great  personal  sacrifice  and  loss,  had 
arranged  for  a  holiday,  that  they  might  follow  their  Vicar 
to  the  grave. 

His  brother  had  arrived  at  Zell  on  Monday,  and  was 
now  returning  to  England  ;  his  sisters  were  also  on  their 
way  home,  but  no  one  knew  where  they  were.  So  it  was 
determined  not  to  alter  arrangements  already  made.  The 
church  was  kept  open  all  night,  the  clergy  and  people 
remaining  there  till  near  midnight :  they  had  hoped  once 
more  to  sing  Evensong  with  all  that  remained  of  Father 
Lowder  in  the  midst.  The  first  celebi'ation  was  at  3  a.m., 
and  many  more  followed,  hundreds  of  the  people  communi- 
cating. "  It  was  the  most  solemn  sight  I  ever  saw,"  one 
said  who  spent  the  night  at  St.  Peter's,  "the  crowds  of 
people  in  the  street  that  night  waiting  for  news :  all  poor 
people,  with  blanched  faces,  and  the  sorrow  of  their, 
hearts  speaking  through  their  eyes  ;  so  quiet  and  resigned, 
and  not  murmuring  at  this  cruel  delay,  and  more  cruel 
suspense ;  just  hanging  about  in  groups  as  people  do 
when  struck  down  by  a  common  sorrow.  So  the  night 
passed,  and  in  the  morning  we  had  a  telegram  from  the 
railway  people  to  say  that  the  coffin  would  arrive  at 
Holborn  Viaduct  early  that  morning." 

Even  this  could  not  have  been  managed,  but  for  the 
afTectionate  devotion  of  Mr.  Robert  Hunt,  of  the  Working- 
Men's  Society,  who  went  to  Queenborough  on  Thursday 
evening,  and  spent  the  night  in  efforts  to  arrange  that  the 


358 


CHARLES  LOIVDER. 


body  should,  if  it  arrived,  be  sent  by  the  earliest  train  on 
Friday.  Orders  had  been  given  that  it  should  be  for- 
warded by  a  later  train,  and  it  was  with  the  greatest  diffi- 
culty that  Mr.  Hunt  obtained  a  reversal  of  the  order.  He 
waited  at  Queenborough  till  the  vessel  came  in,  and  re- 
ceived the  sacred  charge.  It  had  left  Zell  on  the  previous 
Tuesday,  under  the  care  of  a  trustworthy  German. 

At  the  Holborn  Viaduct  Station  it  was  met  by  one 
of  the  curates  of  St.  Peter's,  and  two  of  the  Sisters,  bring- 
ing a  pall  and  flowers,  which  they  laid  over  the  coffin  in 
the  hearse,  and  then  followed  it  to  Old  Gravel  Lane. 
There,  at  the  point  where  St.  Peter's  parish  begins,  it  was 
received  by  a  solemn  procession  from  the  church — his  own 
sister,  who  had  been  prevented  by  illness  from  going  to 
Zell,  with  the  Sisters  of  Mercy,  and  a  great  white  throng  of 
choristers  and  clergy,  led  by  the  cross,  passing  up  the  lane 
through  the  crowds  of  weeping  people  to  the  dock-bridge, 
which  bounds  the  parish.  Once,  during  the  St.  George's 
riots,  his  friends  had  made  a  line  across  this  bridge,  and 
held  it  against  the  mob  who  had  hunted  him  down 
threatening  to  throw  him  into  the  docks  ;  and  now,  in  the 
streets  where  he  had  been  pelted  and  ill-treated,  the  police 
were  obliged  to  keep  a  line  amidst  the  crowds  of  weeping 
men  who  pressed  forwards  to  see  and  touch  the  pall  be- 
neath which  their  benefactor  slept.  The  pall-bearers  were : — 

Rev.  F.  Benson.  Rev.  G.  Cosby  White. 

Rev.  H.  D.  Nihil!.  Rev.  Bryan  King. 

Rev.  A.  H.  Mackonochie.  Rev.  Brenchley  Kingsford. 

Rev.  Harry  Jones.  Rev.  R.  A.  J.  Suckling. 


"Nearly  twenty-five  years  ago,"  Mr.  King  writes,  "I 


CELEBRATION  AT  ST.  PETER'S. 


359 


received  Mr.  Lowder,  and  introduced  him  into  his  district 
amidst  all  but  universal  distrust  and  obloquy ;  on  his 
funeral  day  it  fell  upon  me  as  a  pall-bearer  to  meet  his 
body  at  the  boundary  of  his  parish,  and  to  conduct  it  to 
the  church  between  dense  crowds  of  his  people,  all  intently 
gazing  upon  his  remains  with  feelings  of  deep  emotion, 
many  giving  utterance  to  that  emotion  by  unrestrained 
tears." 

The  coffin  was  lifted  from  the  hearse  and  carried  by 
some  of  the  working-men  on  the  bier  to  St.  Peter's  Church, 
followed  by  the  mourners  and  the  immense  procession, 
chanting  the  funeral  sentences,  and  Psalms  xxiv.,  xxvii., 
xxxix.,  and  xc.  Admittance  to  the  church  was  by  ticket, 
but  every  seat  had  already  long  been  filled.  The  altar 
and  chancel  were  vested  in  white;  Father  Lowder's  stall 
was  covered  with  white  linen,  on  which  his  surplice  and 
stole  were  laid.  When  the  bier  was  placed  in  the  chancel, 
it  was  soon  covered  with  offerings  of  flowers,  handed  to  the 
Sisters,  while  the  prayer  of  the  introit  arose  :  "  Grant  him 
eternal  rest,  O  Lord,  and  let  light  perpetual  shine  upon  him." 
Then  followed  the  celebration,  with  a  sermon  by  the  Rev. 
William  Cleaver,  and  the  Dies  Ires  as  a  sequence.  At  its 
close  the  Sisters  took  up  the  flowers  from  the  coffin,  and 
the  procession  formed  once  more,  and  passed  out  at  the 
western  door,  singing  "  Jerusalem,  my  happy  home,"  and 
slowly  up  to  Wapping  Bridge,  amidst  the  dense  crowd,  still 
singing  the  hymn.  At  the  bridge,  the  procession  ^divided 
and  lined  each  side  of  the  road,  while  the  hearse,  in  which 
the  coffin  had  once  more  been  placed,  passed  slowly 
through  the  ranks  on  the  road  to  Chislehurst,  followed  by 
the  carriage  containing  Father  Lowder's  sister  and  cousin. 


360 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


A  train  to  carry  six  hundred  had  been  engaged  for  the 
communicants  of  St.  Peter's,  but  hundreds  besides  these 
set  off  for  Chislehurst,  those  who  were  too  poor  to  pay  for 
a  ticket  on  foot.  Long  before  the  hearse  arrived  the 
church  at  Chislehurst  was  crammed,  and  hundreds  were 
waiting  in  the  churchyard.  The  scene  on  Chislehurst 
Common,  when  the  trains  of  mourners  had  arrived  from 
London,  was  wonderful ;  the  men  of  Wapping  and  Shad- 
well,  whom  none  will  credit  with  extravagant  religious 
weakness,  gathered  to  manifest  their  gratitude  and  affection 
for  the  heroic  priest  who  had  laboured  so  long  among 
them.  It  v>'as  computed  that  at  least  three  thousand  were 
present,  including  about  two  hundred  clergy. 

After  a  very  long  delay,  the  choir  of  St.  Peter's  were 
seen  coming  from  the  school-house,  where  they  had  vested, 
across  the  common  to  the  church,  preceding  the  body, 
with  the  same  pall-bearers  as  before,  mourners,  Sisters, 
and  four  or  five  hundred  of  the  congregation,  members  of 
various  guilds,  chanting  the  Litany  of  the  Dead.  They 
were  met  at  the  lych-gate  by  the  choir  and  clergy  of 
Chislehurst,  and  the  choirs  joined  and  led  the  way  into 
church,  singing,  "  Brief  life  is  here  our  portion."  During 
the  hymn,  as  the  cofhn  was  brought  into  the  chancel,  the 
deep  unspeakable  grief  of  the  people  who  had  lost  so  good 
a  shepherd  broke  out  in  uncontrollable  sobs  and  tears 
from  both  men  and  women. 

Once  more  the  procession  formed,  singing  "  Light's 
abode,  celestial  Salem,"  on  the  way  to  the  last  resting-place, 
which  is  on  the  north  side  of  the  church,  exactly  on  a  line 
with  the  chancel.  The  sun  was  just  setting,  at  the  close  of 
a  lovely  day,  as  the  coffin,  covered  with  flowers,  was  lowered 


"  REQUIEM  ^TERNAM." 


361 


into  the  moss-lined  grave,  the  choirs  singing,  "Brother, 
now  thy  toils  are  over."  Slowly  and  tearfully  the  multi- 
tude of  men,  women,  and  children  passed  round  while  the 
Rector  of  Chislehurst  stood  by  the  grave,  to  take  a  last 
look  at  the  resting-place  of  him  they  loved. 

No  such  funeral,  it  was  truly  said,  has  been  seen  in 
England  in  modern  times.  Thanksgiving  and  the  voice  of 
melody  in  the  streets  of  East  London  on  a  working-day, 
the  whole  populace  turning  out,  the  church  adorned  in 
white  and  beautiful  with  flowers — all  symbolized,  not  the 
sorrow  of  those  without  hope,  but  the  last  and  best  genuine 
earthly  reward  of  a  good  man.  But  of  all  grand  points  in 
that  funeral,  certainly  the  most  beautiful  and  touching  was 
the  little  children,  fringing  the  crowd,  and  weeping  as  if 
their  hearts  would  break. 

So,  "  with  large  tears  of  sorrow  and  of  joy  "  he  was 
borne,  a  victor,  to  his  rest.  "  Of  joy  " — for  though  ten  years 
were  still  lacking  to  make  up  the  threescore  and  ten,  his 
work  might  have  filled  the  fourscore,  if  measured  by  the 
ordinary  scale  of  good  men's  labour.  And  they  who  loved 
him  best,  remembering  the  bright  promise  of  his  boyhood 
and  youth,  and  the  worn  weary  face  of  later  years,  could 
not  mourn  that  the  patient,  faithful  soldier  should  now 
wear  the  crown,  and  hear  his  Master's  gracious  call;  "Enter 
thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 


There  is  no  need  to  ask  the  way  to  Father  Lowder's 
grave  in  Chislehurst  churchyard ;  for  a  path  leads  to  it,  worn 
in  the  turf  by  many  feet,  and,  while  the  grass  is  green  round 
other  graves,  it  is  quite  trodden  away  for  a  broad  space 


362 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


round  the  stone  kerb  which  encloses  his  resting-place.  And 
though  the  mark  which  he  has  left  upon  the  memories  of 
all  who  knew  him,  even  of  those  who  least  agreed  with  his 
opinions,  is  not  likely  to  be  soon  effaced,  the  words  spoken 
about  him  from  the  pulpit,  on  the  Sunday  after  his  funeral, 
by  the  Rev.  Harry  Jones,  Rector  of  St.  George's-in-the-East, 
will  not  be  thought  unwelcome  here : — 

On  divers  occasions  in  the  course  of  my  ministry  I  have  been 
asked  to  preach  what  is  called  a  funeral  sermon.  No  such  request 
has  been  made  to  me  now.  But  if  I  were  to  let  this  Sunday  pass 
without  speaking  to  you  of  one  who  has  been  so  prominently 
known  in  St.  George's  as  Mr.  Lowder,  I  should  not  be  doing  what 
you  expect,  and  what  certainly  I  desire.  It  is  easy  to  speak  of 
him.  In  divers  cases  where  a  clergyman'  is  asked  to  say  some- 
thing from  the  pulpit  about  one  who  is  dead,  he  is  embarrassed 
by  the  thought  that,  if  he  did,  he  would  be  obliged  to  introduce 
his  name  to  the  congregation,  and  tell  them  something  about  him, 
before  he  ventured  on  such  remarks  as  he  could  make.  That  is 
needless  now.  I  have  no  excuses  to  offer  for  the  bringing  in  of 
personal  allusions  and  details,  which,  however  familiar  to  the 
friends  of  the  dead  man,  and  pathetic  when  told,  have  neverthe- 
less to  be  told. 

Mr.  Lowder  has  been  in  these  parts  for  the  long  period  of 
twenty-four  years.  You  know  the  man  and  his  communication- 
He  is  now,  certainly,  in  all  your  minds.  .  .  .  Sometimes  when  a 
preacher  ventures  on  so  delicate  a  business  as  a  funeral  sermon 
he  has  a  latent  and  uncomfortable  consciousness  that,  however 
amiable,  useful,  and  conspicuous  the  departed  may  have  been,  the 
remembrance  of  him  does  not  quite  fit  in  with  the  mystic  and 
spiritual  thoughts  which  press  upon  us  when  we  reflect  that  one 
whom  we  have  known  in  this  world  has  passed  into  another.  It 
is  possible  to  deliver  an  heroic  oration  over  a  grave,  and  yet  evade 
allusion  to  that  side  of  human  character  which  shows  an  interest 
in  the  unseen.    But  now,  in  speaking  about  him  who  is  gone,  no 


SERMON  BY  REV.  H.  JONES. 


such  suspicion  of  incongruity  presents  itself.  His  memory  suits 
the  atmosphere  of  the  house  of  God.  He  led  this  life  with  the 
thought  of  another  ever  in  his  mind.  The  mention  of  him  meets 
the  most  sacred  moods  of  the  soul.  He  was  marked  by  con- 
tinuous personal  holiness.  Those  who  knew  and  loved  him  best 
will  be  able  to  talk  freely  of  him,  as  if  death  did  not  sharply  break 
the  real  course  of  his  hfe.  .  .  . 

Again,  when  we  call  to  our  mind  him  of  whom  I  now  speak, 
we  see  something  beside  or  along  with  personal  holiness.  We 
see  marks  of  a  character  which  cheers  honest  souls  wherever  they 
may  be  found,  and  which  is  highly  prized  in  man  himself,  whoever 
he  may  be ;  whether  among  the  ministers  or  hearers  of  the  Word, 
whether  among  the  priests  or  the  people.  He  showed  marks  of 
a  character  which  we  value  in  Churchman  or  Nonconformist,  in 
Protestant  and  Papist,  in  Christian  or  in  Jew. 

Mr.  Lowder  was  perfectly  fair.  Whether  he  agreed  with  you 
or  not,  he  never  descended  to  any  stratagem.  I  have,  in  my 
time,  come  across  such  a  thing  as  ecclesiastical  diplomacy, 
whereby  one  opponent  has  sought  to  steal  a  march  or  spring 
a  mine  upon  another.  But  he  always  flew  his  colours.  There 
was  no  smack  of  theological  cunning  about  him.  He  ever  meant 
what  he  said,  and  said  what  he  meant.  This  enabled  him 
always  to  take  a  personally  hearty  tone  with  all.  His  heartiness 
was  not  forced.  It  was  not  tainted  with  a  suspicion  on  the  part 
of  those  who  witnessed  it,  that  he  was  affecting  an  air  of  cheery 
proselytism.  No  after-taste  of  pious  guile  ever  spoilt  the  flavour  of 
any  communications  with  this  man.  All  felt  that  he  was  open 
and  fair. 

With  this  he  combined  an  equally  natural  kindliness  of  tone 
towards  and  about  all  from  whom  he  differed,  or  who  spoke  evil 
of  him.  I  never  heard  him  say  a  bitter  word,  even  when  he 
might  have  had  an  excuse  for  being  sore.  Though  keenly  suscep- 
tible, he  was  enabled  to  keep  his  temper  in  trying  positions,  and 
always  carry  himself  as  a  Christian  and  a  gentleman.  He  and  I 
failed  to  look  at  some  of  the  questions  which  exercise  the  Church 


CHARLES  LOIVDER. 


in  the  same  light,  and  often  found  ourselves,  so  to  speak,  in 
different  lobbies  at  gatherings  of  the  clergy  and  others.  We 
agreed  to  differ,  not,  I  hope,  ever  in  radical  desire  to  promote  the 
righteousness  of  God  and  the  well-being  of  man,  but  in  the  way  of 
looking  at  and  using  some  of  the  great  facts  of  Christianity.  In- 
deed, there  would  be  something  questionable  in  the  thought  of 
perfect  accord  in  opinions  among  men  here.  Individuality  is  one 
of  our  most  precious  possessions.  He  prized  his  and  I  prized 
mine.  But  we  were  always  good  friends,  and  I  ever  found  him 
keeping  good  faith  in  controversy,  and  willing  to  think  the  best  of 
those  from  whom  he  differed,  and,  be  it  added,  those  from  whom 
he  suffered  most  He  had,  moreover,  that  wholesome  sense  of 
humour,  even  under  the  most  provoking  conditions,  without  which 
this  world  and  Church  would  be  unbearable. 

It  was  not,  however,  for  these  things  alone  that  he  will  be 
long  remembered  here.  He  was  simply  fearless.  I  do  not  now 
refer  to  theological  matters,  in  which  he  certainly  had  the 
courage  of  his  convictions,  but  to  other  things  which  test  the 
mettle  of  the  man.  He  showed  the  grit  of  true  courage  in  times 
of  special  social  difficulty  and  distress.  Many  of  you  can  re- 
member how  he  carried  himself  when  the  cholera  came,  .  .  . 
There  are  people  who,  as  we  say,  rise  to  the  occasion  in  great 
emergencies,  and  yet  are  unable  to  endure  the  dull,  continuous 
tug  of  toilsome  ordinary  difficulties.  It  was  not  so  with  Mr, 
Lowder.  Pie  not  only  came  to  the  front  and  stood  to  his  guns 
when  the  enemy  Disease  suddenly  opened  fire  on  the  whole 
parish,  but  throughout  a  long  period  of  labour  and  trial  he  stayed 
at  his  post,  and  did  its  daily  wearisome  work,  I  am  not  going  to 
speak  ill  of  the  surroundings  of  Sl  Peter's,  where  so  many  toil 
honestly  to  win  their  bread  and  do  their  duty  throughout  their 
lives.  And  yet  it  has  never  been  so  singled  out  as  to  be  called  a 
social  paradise.  But  while  divers  of  his  brethren  in  the  ministry 
moved  from  place  to  place,  Mr.  Lowder  held  to  St,  Peter's.  .  .  . 
Any  one  during  the  last  twenty-four  years  who  came  to  St.  Peter's, 
would  have  found  Mr.  Lowder  on  his  thwart  in  the  old  boat, 
with  the  oar  in  his  hand.    And  it  was  a  heavy  oar  to  pulL 


GRIEF  OF  THE  POOR. 


365 


Still,  there  he  was.  There  he  lived,  there  he  worked,  and  we 
might  almost  say,  there  he  died ;  for  his  arm  was  stretched  out 
ready  for  the  oar  again  when  he  was  called  out  of  this  nave  of 
Christ,"and  left  the  waves  of  a  troublesome  world.  He  held  to  his 
work,  though — without  incurring  the  least  reproach — he  might  have 
found  abundant  occupation  in  some  other  place  where  the  harness 
was  not  so  heavy,  and  the  circumstances  of  life  were  less  ex- 
haustive. .  .  .  Much  of  his  work  was  wearisomely  common- 
place and  heavily  uphill.  Yet  it  was  eminently  missionary  work 
which  he  did.  It  needed,  and  had  spent  on  it,  the  genuine  fire 
of  a  holy  life,  and  it  has  made  a  mark  upon  St.  Peter's  which  those 
who  can  remember  what  it  once  was,  know  full  well. 

.  .  .  Moreover,  the  work  in  which  our  neighbour  was  en- 
gaged so  long  was  done  in  a  never-failing  kindly  spirit  towards 
the  neediest,  roughest,  or  most  sensitive  of  those  amongst  whom 
he  lived.  He  did  not  do  it  doggedly,  but  heartily.  There  are 
people  who  hold  to  their  posts  with  a  sort  of  grim  tenacity  which 
is  more  striking  than  amiable.  They  grind  steadily  through  their 
business  without  professing  any  love  for  it  Their  work  has  to 
be  done,  and  it  is  done.  Much  is  to  be  said  in  praise  of  this 
dogged  determination,  but  Mr.  Lowder  seemed  to  me  to  preserve 
a  remarkable  elasticity  and  heartiness  in  the  discharge  of  what  he 
set  himself  to  do.  He  never  lost  his  kindly  interest  for  bodies 
and  souls  of  men  within  or  without  the  circles  of  those  around 
him.  I  need  not  say  he  was  beloved  among  the  poor  amongst 
whom  he  administered,  and  to  whom,  however  ignorant  of  eccle- 
siastical nomenclature,  he  was  always  Father  Lowder,  ready  to 
help  them  in  their  affliction.  They  mourn  for  him  with  sorrow 
deeply  sincere,  for  they  well  know  what  a  loving  friend  they  have 
lost  in  him.  Those  present  last  Friday,  when  the  body  was 
brought  to  St.  Peter's,  on  its  way  to  Chislehurst,  will  never  forget 
that  day.  It  is  well  to  see  crowds  respectful;  it  is  rather  un- 
common to  see  so  many  men,  women,  and  children  in  tears. 
Such  a  sight  speaks  not  only  for  him  who  was  mourned, 
but  for  those  who  mourned  for  him.    They  must  have  carried 


366 


CHARLES  LOWDER. 


away  in  their  hearts  some  better  sense  of  self-sacrificing  personal 
holiness.  Twenty  years  ago  he  entered  soixiC  of  those  very  streets 
among  the  jeers  of  such  as  lived  there.  He  has  now  left  them 
amid  their  sobs — they  laughed  when  he  came,  and  wept  when  he 
left  us.  They  did  not  sorrow  as  m.en  without  hope,  for  they  felt 
he  was  taken  away  by  God  to  be  with  Him  for  ever. 


One  word  in  conclusion,  from  the  friend  under  whom 
Father  Lowder  first  worked  in  London  : — 

"  He  has  gone  to  his  rest,  and  to  the  reward  promised 
to  the  winner  of  souls.  What  a  reward  it  will  be  we  may 
imagine  from  St.  Gregory's  aphorism,  that  'it  is  a  greater 
miracle  to  convert  a  soul  by  the  preaching  of  the  Word 
and  the  consolations  of  prayer,  than  to  raise  a  body  from 
the  dead.' " 


AT  ZELL-AM-SEE. 
{From  a  Sketch  by  Rev.  WiUhim  Lowder. 


I'RINTKl)  BY 
WILLIAM  CLOWtS  AND  SONS,  LIMITED, 
LONDON  AND  BECCI  RS. 


